The Dark Ages
by Garowyn
Summary: And so it all comes down to hope, hope that they will survive the night. DISCONTINUED for now.
1. Calm Before the Storm

**(JULY 26, 2009 - CHAPTER 12 WILL BE POSTED SOON, CONTAINING AUTHOR'S NOTES ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ME FINISHING THIS CLICHE, BADLY WRITTEN STORY...)  
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**A/N: I do not own anything YGO. Loosely based off the ideas I used in "Unexplained", one of my earlier stories. PG-13 for some violence and a little blood. I know Yami means 'dark' or something like that but I'm using it instead of Atemu. Don't worry, Yugi is in this story but not till later. You might be a bit surprised.**

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It was a bright and beautiful sunny day in the Western Kingdom of Relor. Relor was deep in a luscious green forest surrounded by tall breath-taking mountains. Waterfalls were common as well as crystal clear streams, small lakes, and of course, one great raging river roaming throughout the vast land. Truly a beautiful place to live, a Kingdom long defended by the King and his large army, protected by unseen forces: Dragons.

For centuries, Dragons of nearly every color had inhabited Relor's outer parts, secretly making sure the Kingdom was safe. All Dragons were waiting for the Legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon to rise and lead them, perhaps to a farther and better place. The people of Relor thought the Dragons only a myth, a child's fairytale told in order to relieve anxieties. Nowadays, anyone who believed they existed was ridiculed, mocked, and sometimes challenged to go find one, which was almost impossible. Still the Dragons fought, usually at night and Relor was at peace for many years.

But the time of peace was quickly drawing to an end as an evil presence stirred in the North. King Bakura, the white-haired sadistic ruler of Delyan, was always looking for new lands to conquer, in hopes of obtaining great power and world domination. Typical villain actions but that was the way it was. Bakura knew of the Dragons and was slowly developing a plan that could end their reign.

Which was why the Princess was trying to enjoy the day as best as she could. Princess Tea had shoulder length brown hair and bright blue eyes. At only sixteen years of age, she was already trying to rule the kingdom. Only her father remained and was desperately trying to convince his only heir to find a husband, someone fit to rule Relor. Her brother, Mako, died of a terrible sickness so he could not take his rightful place as King. So Tea remained a Princess, destined to be Queen if she found the right man.

In the great fortress, servants and maids scurried around, tending to their duties. There were two personal maids who were Tea's best friends. One of them had an older brother who was part of the current regent's most trusted and gallant Knights. The maids were Mai and Serenity. Joey was Serenity's brother; an odd name but it seemed to fit his goofy yet hotheaded personality. The other Knights went by the names of Tristan, Duke, Yami, Ryou, and Seto. Tristan and Duke were constantly fighting over Serenity and Joey was always yelling at them for doing so. Nonetheless, all three were good friends and ready to defend each other to the end.

Yami and Ryou were best friends, quiet and shy but willing to give their lives for the King and his daughter. The last one, Seto, wielded a mysterious sword, sharp as a Dragon's tooth, sleek and silver, a rare beauty of a weapon. The handle was golden with a single blue diamond embedded in the handle. Upon the blade were four single letters in a language not known to the people of Relor, or to anyone else for that matter. Seto's parents and any other relatives were unknown and he arrived in the Kingdom at the tender age of twelve, silent yet deadly and graceful in swordplay. He was immediately appointed as a Knight-in-training, long before the rest of his group. Seto was loyal but harbored a belief in the Dragons, thus being the target of Joey and Tristan's jokes. However, he was quick with the comebacks.

Mai was twenty, Serenity was fourteen, Joey was nineteen, Tristan was nineteen, Duke was nineteen, Yami was twenty, Ryou was seventeen, and Seto was twenty-one.

And so begins a tale of Dragons, battle, magic, and a little bit of romance.

* * *

The decapitated limb fell from the deformed creature. It was dead. "No loss." Bakura muttered, looking at what claimed to be an intelligent being in disgust. "That's the last time he'll ever scorn ME." He chuckled evilly. Turning towards a couple of his men, he spoke again. "You! Remove this...thing from my sight. And you! Hand me that cloth there..." The two men did as they were told, fearing their King. Bakura wiped the black blood from his sword and tossed the soiled cloth back at the one that had handed it to him. He normally didn't act this spoiled but today, he was extra glad he was King. Even if he was only nineteen years old.

"Woman, come here." Bakura ordered sharply. A young woman, no older than twenty-two, slowly walked towards him. She had tanned skin and long raven hair, blue jewels for eyes, and possessed a mysterious power. A young sorceress, the only one left of her kind, lifted her face. Her name was Ishizhu and she had a younger brother, no older than the King, Marik, an eighteen-year-old soldier. Both were orphans and had lost their only other living relative, Odion, to the hands of the King. Bakura had made it clear he would eliminate anyone who dared to stand up against him. For this, she hated Bakura but fearing for the safety of her brother, obeyed him.

"What is it, my King?" She asked softly, but her tone held a hint of resentment.

"Have you come up with a way to defeat these rumored Dragons?" He questioned, raising one arm in the direction of Relor whose mountains were small at the distance they were at.

"Not yet, my King." Ishizhu answered, keeping her eyes to the ground.

"Look at me." Bakura demanded and Ishizhu lifted her face, her cloak and hood hiding most of her. "You WILL find a plan before we reach Relor." He commanded.

"Yes, my King." Ishizhu said, voice tight. As much as everyone hated him, most women could not deny the good looks Bakura held, with his slanted dark eyes and wild white hair.

Bakura smirked. "You had better." He murmured as he made his way back to his black horse and hoisted himself on top. "Let's go!" He ordered briskly to his army. Almost the entire kingdom in which Bakura ruled had come since most were fighters.

"Soon...Relor will be mine." Bakura whispered eyes not leaving the West.

* * *

"Will you two care to join me?" Tea asked her maids as she stood, admiring her dress in the mirror. It was of peach color and sparkled like the morning light. It was sleeveless and went down to her ankles. "I'm going to take a walk through the gardens."

"My Lady, we have duties to attend to...don't we?" Serenity, the youngest, asked. She and Mai were dressed in traditional maid uniforms but still looked pretty nonetheless.

"Nah, we finished them all." Mai said, looking at her nails. "Unless we have more to do that you want us to do. I personally wouldn't mind a break!" Mai was the most outgoing and had the don't-give-me-trouble-or-else attitude. Most unusual for a maid but she was loyal.

Tea grinned. "So it's settled. You'll come?"

"Yes!" Serenity affirmed eager to see the gardens. Being in the castle all day was boring and she never really got to see the outside that much. The three young women made their way down the stairs, soon finding themselves in the main hall of the castle. Tea's father was nowhere to be seen but the Knights were.

"Grr...will ya stop talking about my sister like that?!" Joey exploded, waving his arms around.

Tristan and Duke spotted the young girl and immediately ran up to her but not before showing their respect for the Princess. "Morning milady!" Tristan called out cheerfully. "Good Morning, Serenity, angel of light!" He exclaimed, grinning. "It is I, Sir Tristan!"

"Milady." Duke nodded to the Princess. "Serenity! Hello..." He smiled, taking her wrist and planting a kiss atop the hand. "How are you this beautiful morning?"

Serenity blushed in delight and embarrassment. As much as she liked them both, she could not choose nor did she like all the attention. "I'm fine, Duke, thank you. I'm flattered, Tristan. Um..." Her voice trailed off as she looked pleadingly at Mai and Tea who were unsuccessfully trying not to laugh.

"GAH!" Joey shoved the two Knights to the floor. "That'll teach ya!" He yelled and looked at his sister. "Hey sis!"

"Joey, calm down." Ryou said, shaking his head. "Morning, your highness." He bowed in respect.

"Good morning everyone!" Tea exclaimed, mildly amused by all the greetings. "Hello Yami!" She flashed a bright smile at the tri-colored haired knight who blushed slightly.

"Hello your majesty." Yami bowed as well.

Tea glanced around. "Where is Seto?" She asked.

"Why do ya want to know where he is?" Joey asked, raising an eyebrow. "I could care less where he is but at least he doesn't fancy my sister." He stated.

"Well, he always seems to be somewhere around you guys, either that or hiding in the shadows for some reason." Tea pointed out.

"If you ask me, that's kind of creepy." Mai said, shivering. Seto was clearly one of the most attractive men in the Kingdom with his dark brown hair and intense blue eyes but most were intimidated by his presence.

"That stuck-up jerk went somewhere in the forest." Tristan said, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know why though. Probably to find a Dragon." He laughed.

"What a wacko!" Joey added. "Dragons?! As if."

"Come on now!" Ryou intervened, much to the surprise of everyone. "Just because someone believes in something that can't be seen, doesn't mean it's not real."

"Don't tell me you believe that crud?" Mai asked, placing one hand on her hip.

"No not really but you're all being too hard on him." Ryou admitted, always the peacemaker.

Tea listened in silence. She herself did not know what to believe. Something was protecting the Kingdom but she wasn't quite sure it was the Dragons. But then...she remembered something from two weeks ago.

_"What troubles you, milady?" Seto asked, noting her concern, written all over her face like a book. He had found her staring out the large balcony of one of the lone hallways. It was his duty to patrol these halls until two am and then someone else would take over._

_"I'm not sure." Tea replied, still gazing at the stars. "Well, what I mean is, I'm not sure what troubles me the most. Bakura, my inexperience to rule, the need to find a husband, or the fact that I and my father may not be able to defend Relor this time around."_

_Seto stood next to her, a thoughtful expression on his normally stoic face. "I see." He cleared his throat. "Might I offer you some comforting words?"_

_"Go ahead."_

_"Your highness, whatever happens in the future, the Dragons will not abandon their duties and loyalties." Seto said._

_Tea faced him. "Oh? Really?" She asked, an eyebrow raised._

_"Hn." Seto narrowed his eyes and looked at her. "I know you must think me a fool, but rest assured, they do exist. They haven't failed yet..." His voice faded to a whisper._

_"Okay..." Tea yawned. Even though she'd been brought up not to believe in such things, she couldn't help but feel at ease._

Since then, Seto had become a close friend. He was not interested in her romantically and neither was she. Tea had her heart and sights set on someone else. A certain Knight with colorful hair...

* * *

Meanwhile, Seto was deep in the forest, sitting cross-legged in a clearing, meditating. His silver armor was off to the side, leaving him clad in only his black and gray clothing. His sword was resting on his lap, not wanting to leave it just anywhere. His bow and arrow lay with his armor and so did his shield.

From 0200hrs till 2300hrs, he was free from duty, able to catch up on sleep and sometimes food. The Knights were able to eat a little during their duty but they mostly waited until their breaks. Seto was different. He didn't really like the food that was served and often went out into the kingdom, in search of better food, preferably anything with meat. Stew was his favorite meal.

All of a sudden, a cry broke through his thoughts, and his eyes snapped open, expecting an attack. He scoured the area around him, seeing nothing. Then the cry came again but this time in form of a word. "HELP!" Seto leapt to his feet, and began running towards where it had come from.

"HEEELLLPP!" A young boy cried out again, tears streaming down his face. 'Not this way! I don't wanna die!' He thought as he ran his hardest. Currently he was being chased by a wolverine, which was peculiar, because they never came out till night and that was when all residents were ordered to stay out of the forests. They didn't bother the wolves; the wolves didn't bother them.

Unfortunately, Mokuba, the boy, had decided that day to explore the forest more than usual and had come across a den of baby wolves. They seemed harmless and Mokuba had reached out to pet one but just then the mother showed up, baring her fangs. And now he was running for his life.

He wasn't exactly watching where he was going and tripped over a rather large root. He spun around, throwing his arms up in defense as the wolf leapt into the air, ready to pounce upon her prey.

Suddenly, an arrow pierced the air and hit the wolf at the back of its throat. Gagging, it fell upon Mokuba, causing the boy to release more screams of terror, as he had not realized it was dead. But so fast...how?

The wolf was pushed away from him and Mokuba opened his eyes and found himself staring into the blue eyes of Seto. "Are you all right?" Seto asked, kneeling down beside him.

"Yeah..." Mokuba realized he was shaking.

"Hey, it's okay, kid." Seto assured him. "Look...it's dead." He pointed to the wolf.

Mokuba stared blankly at the wolf. And then, "How did it die so fast?" He asked curiously.

"Poison on the tip." Seto responded. "It's a deadly one, quick to kill and it comes from these." He held up a small yellow sphere that he had grabbed from a branch. "Often mistaken for berries as you can see. When injected into the bloodstream, it travels quickly." He explained. "You can even be poisoned if you eat one. So don't eat anything out of this forest, especially these. If you do...the consequences could be fatal." Seto warned, knowing full well there was good things in the forest to eat but he didn't want to risk it.

"Really?" Mokuba stared at the small but lethal sphere. "Uh, thanks for saving me...?"

"Seto. You can call me Seto." The Knight smiled faintly at the kid. He was starting to warm up to Mokuba. There was just something about him that made it hard not to like him. "Where do you live? I'll take you home."

Mokuba suddenly looked sad and looked down at the ground. "I don't have a home or a family." He mumbled, a lone tear crept down his cheek.

Seto's eyes widened. An orphan...just like he was. "Where do you stay then? How do you eat?" He blurted out, mentally cursing himself for such rudeness. "Forgive me..."

"I stay wherever I can. I kind of...steal my food." Mokuba muttered, feeling ashamed. "It's been like that for a month now. My parents died when our home burned down." The ten-year-old whispered, more tears threatening to show themselves.

Seto's heart went out to him. How come no one had noticed? Did anyone even off their help? "Well, if you don't mind, how would you...like to stay with me?" He asked.

Mokuba's eyes brightened. "Really?" He asked timidly and Seto smiled a genuine smile, happy to see the young boy glad.

"Yes." He paused. "I live in the castle-"

"Are you a Knight?" Mokuba interrupted eyes huge. "I've always dreamed of being a Knight. They're so brave and they get to have swords!" He exclaimed.

Seto frowned. "Swords are not to be taken lightly. They are dangerous weapons." He said firmly. "And yes...I am a Knight." He then remembered something. "I need to go back and retrieve my belongings." He stood up, offering his hand. "And then we will go back into the castle and get you cleaned up and fed." He was sure the Princess wouldn't mind.

"All right." Mokuba took his hand and began to walk, not letting go of it. It was the first time, aside from his parents, that someone had ever shown such care. He didn't want to let go.

A bit surprised, Seto allowed Mokuba to hold on to his hand and two headed for the clearing.

* * *

Elsewhere, Tea, Mai, and Serenity were sitting on a stone bench in the middle of the gardens, chatting. "Do you think he fancies me?" Mai was asking Serenity, referring to her brother.

Serenity nodded enthusiastically. "He sure does. Joey is always asking me questions about you. I think he is rather bashful around you much less even approach you."

"Well, maybe he won't be so shy when I send word of a grand ball I am having!" Tea grinned. "It's to celebrate my father's birthday next week. And you girls don't have to work!"

"Wonderful!" Mai clapped her hands. "If he doesn't ask me, I will!"

"I'll definitely have to choose an escort." Tea said.

"Oh really?" Mai winked. "I know who you wouldn't mind having as your escort."

Tea went red. "Uh...Serenity! Who are you going to choose?" She quickly changed the subject.

Serenity sighed, knowing she'd have to make a decision eventually. "As usual, I don't know."

The girls laughed and Tea gingerly inhaled the scent of flowers. Then she heard a voice. "Oh wow!" A boy's voice filled her ears and she frowned, not remembering any young servant being in her service. The other two girls heard it as well and glanced around, looking for the source.

Soon Mokuba appeared from behind a cluster of bushes and stopped short when he saw the three females. He blushed and went back behind the bushes only to bump into Seto. Seto's eyes widened as well as he had not expected them to be there. "My apologies milady! I was just returning to my duty but-"

"Who is this cute boy?" Tea asked, a friendly smile on her face. "Hi!" She called out as Mokuba hid behind Seto. Mokuba hadn't been around people for most of his life.

"This is Mokuba. I found him in the forest." Seto responded, not wanting to explain his whole life story. "He will be staying with me...if that's all right with you...?"

"Of course!" Tea exclaimed, smiling. "I don't mind at all. I think it's sweet." She paused and tried to look behind him. "It's all right, Mokuba...we don't bite." Serenity giggled behind her, Mai looked amused, and Seto winced, believing those might not have been the best words to say.

Something struck the young boy. "Wow...are you the Princess?" He asked, looking at her incredulously.

Tea grimaced. "Yes, I am." She didn't really enjoy false attention but the boy looked sincere. She wanted real friends, real people who didn't just respect her because she was the Princess.

Mokuba's eyes suddenly went very wide. "Uh...um," He quickly bowed down almost falling over. "Sorry, um, your highness!"

Tea burst out laughing, the girls giggled, and Seto cracked a half-smile. "Mokuba?" Tea said and the boy looked up, face red. "Listen, you don't need to bow because...you're a special guest to the castle and can go and come as you wish. All right?"

Mokuba smiled shyly. "Really?"

"Of course." Tea paused and frowned. "Seto, you have your duties. Have you anyone to watch the boy while you're gone?"

Seto looked thoughtful. 'Good question.' "Not really. I hadn't thought about that."

"Well come on! Let's all go inside and I'll find something for Mokuba to entertain himself." Tea led the way as the Knight, the boy, and the two maids followed close behind.

Inside, the other five Knights were engaged in a game of poker as they waited for their break to end. Then, they would head for their respected positions in the castle and carry out their obligations. "Greetings!" Tristan called out. "Aw, man!" His shoulders sank as Joey collected his winnings.

"Heh, heh." Joey turned around and saw the little group. "Well, well, look who's back?" He laughed. "Did ya catch a Dragon this time?"

Seto stiffened and glared at his fellow nobleman, the one he loathed the most. "Shut it, mutt." He muttered loud enough for him to hear.

"Mutt? Who ya calling mutt?! Grr..." Joey stood up, knocking his chair down, unaware that he had basically proved Seto's comment to be somewhat true.

"Here we go again..." Duke grumbled as Joey prepared to hurl back insults.

"I thought it was obvious." Seto rolled his eyes, a bored expression on his face.

Mokuba glared at Joey. "You leave him alone!" He yelled, fists bunched together. The room became silent.

"Whoa! Who's this kid? Sounds like he's pretty defensive." Tristan remarked, putting down his share of cards. "What's your name?"

Mokuba stared at him suspiciously, expecting him to taunt Seto as well. "I'm Mokuba." He said flatly.

"Knights!" Tea called briskly in a regal tone. All stood at attention. "This boy will be staying here with Knight Seto and you are not to give him any trouble. Is that clear?"

"Yes My Lady." Came the dull reply.

A bell rang in the Kingdom, signaling it was noon. "Duty calls!" Joey yelped and jumped up from the table once again. The rest followed suit, hastily giving their farewells.

"Mai? Would you take Mokuba to the kitchen and get him something to eat? I'm sure he's hungry." Tea looked at Mokuba. "Are you?"

There was no mistaking the delight in his voice. "Oh, yes I am!" He exclaimed and as if on cue, his stomach rumbled loudly. "Oops..." He reddened.

Seto chuckled. "Eat well, kid. I've got to go now." He patted Mokuba on the shoulder and left.

"Bye Seto!" Mokuba followed Mai.

"And Serenity? Can you please inform Espa about the ball and to write up invitations? I will join you momentarily with more information." Serenity nodded and disappeared from the room.

Yami stood up, gathering the cards and Tea suddenly went over to him. "Here! Let me help." She said, giving him a shy smile.

"Huh? Oh no, milady, you don't have to-"

"That's all right!" Within a minute, Tea had all the cards formed back into a deck. "There! Two's better than one right?" She asked, grinning.

"Uh...yes..." Yami stammered but smiling back at her. 'She's so beautiful.' He thought and flushed red. "I...good day, your highness." He stood up, cards in hand, and headed for his patrol watch.

Tea suddenly remembered something and called back to him. "Uh...Yami?" She hesitated as he looked back to her.

"Yes milady?"

"You can just call me Tea."

"A Lady, more so a Princess, deserves respect...Tea." Yami replied quietly.

Tea smiled. "Thanks but I would prefer it if you did." Yami nodded and she continued. "I'm having a ball in honor of my father's birthday and I was wondering if you would be my escort?" It was customary for a man to ask a woman but Tea figured no one would ask her for fear of rejection or because she was simply royalty.

The crimson-eyed Knight gaped at her. "Y-your escort? Uh, don't I have-"

Tea sighed. Everyone was obsessed with duty these days. "Yes or no?"

"I'd be honored to." He responded, smiling warmly.

* * *

Ishizhu sat on a rock, basking in the warm sun as the entire army took a break and fed their horses or sharpened their swords. Bakura was currently discussing with some of his men on the best ways to overthrow the King and his daughter of Relor. "Sire, perhaps if the Relor army was distracted somehow..." One man suggested.

Bakura stared at him and narrowed his eyes. The man swallowed hard, worried he'd get an earful. But to his surprise, Bakura broke out in a grin. A rather nasty grin. "That is brilliant, General!" He exclaimed. The General sighed in relief. "But don't think I'm going to treat you any different." Bakura warned, glaring at him. "Now, how can we distract them? If we are successful, we still will have one obstacle: the Dragons. The people of Relor are foolish enough to believe they don't exist."

As they continued in discussion, Marik walked towards his sister. "Sister." He greeted her and sat down next to her.

"Marik." Ishizhu nodded. "How are you, dear brother?" She asked. The young woman was worried about him. He had just recently been drafted into the Delyan army and was not particularly fond of having to kill for the first time in his life.

"I'm fine for the moment." Marik replied bitterly. "Did you come up with a way yet?" He too was not eager to see the Dragons fall but they had to obey their King.

"No because I do not need to." The woman answered.

"Huh?"

"I have foreseen the leaving of the Dragons." She faced him. "I have yet to notify the King. You see, the most powerful of all, the great Blue Eyes White Dragon, is in Relor at this time and he will rise very soon. I saw and felt feelings of anger and irritation." A sad look came into her eyes. "The people of Relor should have believed. Now their only hope of withstanding the Delyan army will soon vanish, never to return."

"Why?" Marik asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

Ishizhu was silent for a moment. "Lack of faith can be wounding." Was all she said, leaving the teen soldier in a state of confusion.

* * *

**A/N: Well that's the first chapter. I'm kind of a slow 'updater' so this is my first ongoing fic since I quit on-going stuff awhile ago and devoted my time to oneshots but this fic won't be that long. Four good long chapters at the most.**

**I'm not really a romance writer. I tend to lean more towards fantasy/sci-fi/angst/dark/family fluff kinda fics and I'm more of a Tea/Yami Bakura fan, strange enough as it is.**

**Please review; it will be greatly appreciated and I will try and get the next chapter up ASAP. This chapter was more of an intro chapter.**


	2. Transformation Finalized

**A/N: I don't own YGO. **

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Seto stood silently at one end of the hall. This was his spot every day. Afterwards, he would sleep, get up, eat, and leave for his quiet spot in the forest to do some meditation or thinking. Needless to say, it was a tedious lifestyle but he didn't mind it so much. Seto wouldn't be a Knight forever, even though he was the most courageous valiant one of all. There was something else that was a part of him. A part he dreaded yet welcomed especially when it promised infinite power and strength. The transformation would be slow and it had already started. Seto would have to leave soon because no one was to know who he actually was. The last person he wanted for to find out was Mokuba.

It had begun with a steady pattern going from inside to outside. The first sign would be his appetite. The Sir Knight never ate much despite his favorite meal being what he ate most every day. But when the mutation came into play for the first time in his life, it would require large amounts of food. After all, Dragons had bigger stomachs, didn't they? Next would be his voice box. If he was angered in any way or defensive, an inhuman growl would make its way up and out. After that, the teeth would become considerably sharper and somewhat whiter than normal with a silver touch. Each change would last for a week and then would be joined by another change. The eyes will follow suit and remain blue but would become more menacing in appearance and more Dragon-like. Sort of like those of a cat.

His body would be next after those four. Very slowly his skin color would become pale and seemingly lifeless until a bluish tint was visible. This change would remain with the others for at least two weeks and the last changes would come, the most terrible of all.

Seto's body would start molding and shaping itself, growing at a faster rate than the other changes. That was when he would no longer look human and would have to hide out in the forest. After his transformation was complete, he would be able to revert back into human form and then vice versa very easily. But being full of Dragon blood by birth, he would want to stay Dragon forever.

He was made human for a reason and he hadn't quite figured that out yet.

It would be fine if people didn't surround him nearly all the time. And now Mokuba was in the picture and he didn't want the young boy to know about his transformation, his secret...

He was the Blue Eyes White Dragon, the legendary.

No one believed it to be so that such a Dragon could exist, let alone Dragons.

That was what hurt him.

His parents were Dragons of course but they had passed on. He had fended for himself in the forest, observing the Relorian people and seeing what was needed to be human since he only looked like one. He took it upon himself to act like one until the right time when he would become a Dragon and lead his kin away from Relor. Unless he decided to stay and defend it for many years to come.

From the looks and sound of things, he wasn't planning on staying.

Ever since he had come out into the open, he had quickly learned that believing in the Dragons was wrong to the Relorian people. Seto still kept his trust knowing who he would grow to be. But it was hard.

The Knight sighed and shifted his feet. It was times like these he wished he had someone to talk to.

Suddenly a rumble filled his ears and he instantly turned red. It was his stomach.

Seto's stomach rumbled again this time more loudly and he weighed out his options. No one came down these halls at this time of the day and he could easily sneak to the kitchen and find himself something to eat. Or he could stay put because it was his order not to leave his post unless it was an emergency. His order from the King that is. Decisions...

"Hi Seto!" A young voice piped up, nearly scaring Seto out of his mind. "The Princess told me you'd be here."

Seto spun around, wondering if Mokuba had heard his stomach and he forced a smile. "Hello kid. Did you eat heartily?"

"Yep!" Mokuba patted his stomach with a sheepish grin. "I've never eaten so much before. It was good!"

"I bet." Seto said and his stomach rumbled again at the mention of food. He froze, blushing once more. "Uh..."

Mokuba laughed a cheery sound for the days. "Your tummy grumbled! It's talking!" He grinned up at the embarrassed Knight. "You must be hungry."

"How could you tell?" Seto replied, a faint hint of sarcasm in his tone. "Yes I am very hungry."

"Didn't you eat breakfast?"

"I did but now it seems I should have eaten more."

"Want me to go and get you something?"

Unable to resist any longer, Seto nodded, eyes wide. "Would you? I will be forever grateful if you did."

Mokuba giggled. "What kind of food do you want?"

Seto thought for a moment. Food... "Uh...anything! Anything, yes, anything with...meat."

"Okay-"

"Make it raw."

A gasp. "Huh? Seto you'll get sick!"

The paladin regretted his words. "Yes. Right. Silly me. What was I thinking?" Seto stood back in his position. "Thank you, Mokuba."

Mokuba cast one more concerned glance at his friend and then disappeared around the corner.

* * *

The Delyan army marched on, everyday becoming closer to Relor. The Relorian Mountains loomed in the distance, darkened with forest and the mist added a mysterious touch. The sun was hiding behind clouds in the area where the Delyan army was. How fitting.

Marik rode atop his horse, his long hair blowing in the wind. Next to him was Ishizhu on her horse and she gave him a look signifying that she was going to ride ahead and speak with the King. Marik inwardly sighed, hoping all would go well. He knew King Bakura would not hesitate to strike his sister down and even kill her if her news did not please him. If he ever did that, Marik would lose control and try to avenge her. The attempt would be noble but foolish because there were hundreds of soldiers ready to kill him on command.

"Sire?" Ishizhu called out as she reached him.

Bakura turned to her and frowned. "What is it, wench?" He snapped.

Ishizhu's expression turned to one of fury. "Is that what you call the person who will greatly aid you in your invasion?" She shot back in a calm way. She wasn't that afraid of him.

Bakura smirked. "Fine, _soldier_." He mocked, amused at the annoyance in Ishizhu's eyes.

"As I was saying, my lord." Ishizhu began. "I had a vision about the Dragons of Relor. They were leaving; all of them and the Dragons are Relor's only hope of withstanding your attack. Their military is no match for the Delyan army."

"Perfect." A smug smile crossed his face. "I have already decided on a diversion."

"What is it?" Ishizhu asked, curious herself. And surprised. The fact that Bakura was tolerating her presence and not angered was a miracle in itself.

"We are approaching from the North, are we not?" Bakura turned to her slightly and the young woman nodded. "I will send forth a troop to set fire to the northern part of the forest-"

Ishizhu gasped. "Sire, what if it spreads?" She hated to see things of beauty be destroyed.

Bakura scoffed. "It is not my concern. I could care less if it spreads as long as it doesn't interfere with my plans and the way for the Delyan army to enter. Once the troop has left, they have strict orders to stay there and meet the Relorian King and his pathetic armed forces. That will stall them for awhile once they realize they've been duped. Meanwhile, we enter into Relor from the east and take control of the Kingdom by killing anyone who tries to resist arrest." At this he snickered softly causing Ishizhu to express dislike at his morbid fascination with killing.

"I see, your honor." She responded.

"You know..." Bakura faced her with a fiendish grin. "After I gain control of this entire country, I will have to marry and produce an heir...and you seem very promising." Of course he had no intention of marrying anytime soon or if to marry at all. He just liked to infuriate the woman for his own pleasure. Making others angry was just...fun. He chuckled at the incredulous look on her face and turned away from her, shaking his head.

If he wasn't the King, Ishizhu felt she could've slapped him right then and there. 'How dare he?' Furious, she quickly drifted back to where her brother was, wondering about their conversation and what had angered her.

* * *

"Seto? How do you get to be a Knight? What's a Knight supposed to be like?" Mokuba asked as Seto attacked his food with zeal.

Seto swallowed a bite and gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Well, in order to be a Knight or a leader for that matter, a King, you have to have the following: Courage, Strength, Loyalty, Knowledge, Wisdom, and Fairness. Nobility too as well as Honor."

"Really?" Mokuba blinked. "What about power?"

Now it was Seto's turn to blink. "Power? What sort of power?"

"You know, like..." Mokuba frowned. "Hmm...I got it! Like some sort of super power or something like magic!"

A stern expression on his face, Seto answered, "Power isn't everything but I suppose some sort of supernatural strength could come in handy. As long as it is used for good." He continued to eat.

Mokuba stared at the stone floor, deep in thought. "Seto...do you believe in Dragons?"

Seto looked at him seriously. "Yes I do. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I kind of overheard Joey and Tristan-"

"Humph. Figures." Seto muttered, a cross look on his handsome features. "What did they say about me now?"

Mokuba looked uncomfortable. Ignoring the question, he spoke, "Well, if it helps, I believe in them too." He finished quietly.

The twenty-one year old glanced at him in wonder but his gaze quickly turned to stone. "You don't have to say that for my sake, Mokuba..."

"No really, I do!" Mokuba insisted. "I saw one before my parents died. It was real neat with green skin and big wings. It was amazing!" He exclaimed, a light in his eyes. "My parents believed in them too."

'Maybe that's why no one helped in the first place' Seto thought, feeling his blood boil. 'What a cruel and unstable Kingdom this is. Hopefully things will change for the better.'

"Hey Seto are you going to the grand ball?" Already the boy knew about the latest news in the Kingdom.

"No."

"Why not?" The child asked, sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall.

"I do not wish to attend these kinds of events. Even if it is in honor of the King. I have my own duties to pay heed to." 'Besides, I probably won't even be in the castle if the transformation goes along far enough.' The Knight thought with some amusement. What a glorious moment that would be! To change into a legend.

* * *

A week passes...

"Guess who is escorting me to the grand ball?" Mai squealed the next morning while smoothing out a gown for the Princess. "Guess who FINALLY asked!" She exclaimed, blonde hair flying about.

"Who, Mai?" Serenity took the bait, smiling knowing full well who the suitor was.

"Joey!" Mai laughed. "That dolt finally got the nerve to ask me. Took long enough!"

"That's wonderful!" Tea exclaimed, coming out of the lavatory. "Sir Yami is escorting me."

"Really? Excellent." Mai grinned. "So when's the wedding?"

Serenity chuckled politely as Tea gave a mock glare at her friend. "Really, Mai..." She shook her head. "I don't know if he feels the same way."

"Of course he does!" Mai gave a short sigh. "And you call yourself a Princess. You should know these things!"

"Humph. I'm not like every other Princess." Tea faced Serenity. "How about you? Did you find an escort yet?"

"I couldn't decide so the boys flipped a coin."

"A coin? How juvenile." Mai rolled her eyes in disgust. "You're letting a couple of dimwits flip a coin for you?"

"Well, it was the only way at the moment. Anyway, Tristan won, best out of three. But I promised Duke a few dances."

Tea sighed as she leaned back on her bed. "I can't wait."

The night of the ball arrived. Over the course of the last week, Seto and Mokuba had become closer considered themselves brothers. Mokuba now took it upon himself to call Seto big brother while Seto continued to call him kid in an affectionate way.

Tristan and Duke still fought over Serenity and Joey had started to court Mai with the sole intention of marrying her someday. No longer known as "mutt", Joey earned a new nickname from Seto. "Lovesick puppy" because he had been seen bearing wild flowers for Mai.

Tea talked to Yami more often, engaging in friendly conversation. He still had not refrained from calling her "Princess" or "My Lady" but Tea didn't mind so much anymore.

King Bakura and his army were coming closer each day.

Seto had now entered the third and fourth stage of his transformation: the eyes and the teeth. In the past week, a few people had noticed his strange growl whenever he was made fun of. This was cause for more teasing and Seto became angrier every waking moment.

_"Whatsa matter?" Joey taunted. "Cat got your tongue? Wait, Dragon got your tongue? Ha! Ha! Ha!" The others joined in with the exception of Yami and Ryou._

_Seto suddenly made a noise that very well sounded like a wolverine snarl. _

"_Huh?" Duke raised an eyebrow. "What in the world was that?"_

"_Eh, don't go all 'Dragon' on us!" Joey added._

"_Yeah!" Tristan chimed in._

"_Enough!" Seto gritted his teeth. "Your Dragon jokes are getting old, mutt. That goes for the rest of you idiots."_

"_What? Can't handle a little teasing?" Tristan shot back. _

"_You're treading on thin ice...the lot of you." Seto murmured dangerously, slightly surprised expressions forming on their faces. "Very thin ice."_

Since then they had limited their jokes but Seto still made it clear he was not happy with them. In turn they too made it clear they weren't finished with him yet.

* * *

The paladin strode down the halls the night before the ball. His duty was over and he was exhausted. He had almost jumped the three childish Knights in anger. The transformation was happening too quickly for his liking. His eyes hadn't changed yet but his teeth had but not much. He had bit on his lip today and a bit of blood had trickled out but he removed it in a very unusual manner...

Seto entered his sleeping quarters and quietly removed his armor and outer clothing until he left with his nightwear: a white sleeved shirt and long johns. After taking a quick shower, he ambled towards his bed where Mokuba was fast asleep. "Goodnight kid...little brother." He whispered as he settled himself down.

"'Night big brother." Mokuba whispered back, and returned to a light snore.

Elsewhere, the Delyan military had set up camp for the night and set about feeding the horses and themselves. Bakura sat on a chair inside his large canvas tent, contemplating on whether to send forward the small force now or in the morning. Frowning at the latter, Bakura ordered them to go ahead at night so that they would be there at the northern forest tomorrow evening. Much to their dismay, the tired troops left.

* * *

The night of the ball...

'Wow, he's a great dancer.' Tea thought as she smiled at Yami. She wore a pink gown with a silver tiara and Yami was in his best robes. The two were in the middle of the dancing crowd. Ryou and Duke were at the buffet table chatting and Mai was trying to drag Joey to the dance floor. Joey insisted on finishing his plate of food first. Tristan was happily dancing with Serenity and Mokuba was to everyone's surprise, talking with the King who was very interested in hearing about Mokuba and how he had survived on so little for one month for his age.

Seto entered, deciding on checking the ball out for awhile. He spotted the dancing couples, the King and Mokuba, the food, and the musicians. 'What a waste of time.' Seto glanced behind him, and saw that his eyesight had improved because of the transformation. He could see the entrance to the castle and all other places clearly without a torch. They were dimly lit anyway.

The Dragon Knight chose to head over to the buffet table and get himself a drink. Duke spotted him and smirked. "Lookin' kind of pale there, Seto." He remarked and Seto stiffened, wondering if Duke was just joshing him or not.

"Evening, Seto. I didn't think you would join us tonight." Ryou spoke and smiled.

Seto grunted a reply. "You thought wrong." He took a sip and secretly checked his hand. Sure enough, it was ghostly white. 'Not here...' He thought.

"Well, if it isn't _Dragoon_..." Joey emphasized, using the term for a cavalryman that sounded quite similar to Dragon. "Who ya escortin' here?" Mai was busy chatting with Ryou and Duke took a dance with Serenity while Tristan stood by Joey's side.

"Shut up, clown." Seto silently fumed and felt his hand shaking, causing the liquid inside the mug to shake as well.

"Make me!"

"Numbskull." Seto dropped his mug, spilling its contents. A few gasps rose from the crowd but none were too concerned with what was going on at the moment. "You can be very childish, mutt."

"Stop calling me that! Grr..." Joey clenched his fists together. A servant came and cleaned up the mess.

"What would you prefer then? Dog? Mongrel? Cur? _Half-breed_?" He sneered, no longer harboring a joking tone to his voice. "Half-breed" was a terrible insult and more people from the dance crowd heard. Slowly the music was dying down and more and more people had their attention on the two.

"Huh?" Mokuba stood on his seat to see what was catching the interest of the crowd.

"Now that's just low." Tristan commented, sending Seto a glare.

"Grr, you're gonna pay for that!" Without another word, Joey lashed out at Seto who easily blocked his fist.

"I'm warning you..." Seto bared his teeth and Joey's eyes went wide. Seto's teeth had taken become sharper and more noticeable. His grip on Joey's fist was tightening and a low growl emitted from his throat.

"Whoa! What's wrong with you?" Joey stumbled back. "I knew you were crazy but aren't you taking this Dragon thing a little too far?"

Seto accidentally bit his lip and a tiny trail of blood seeped through. "You have hurt me for the last time." He murmured, allowing the blood to show itself.

The crowd gasped. "You mean he's a Dragon believer?" Someone asked.

"Yeah." Tristan answered.

"He's one of THEM!"

"That's disgraceful!"

"One of the most brave Knights in the Kingdom is a fool!"

"Awful..."

"Knights, behave yourselves!" The Princess called out, silencing the crowd. Tea made her way through the crowd with Yami following close behind. She frowned at them. "Really!"

"That's it. I'm through with dealing with your mockery of something very dear to me!" Seto shouted at the two in front of him. He spun around and walked to the door with whatever dignity he had left of being publicly embarrassed. All around him people were whispering, pointing, and sending him harsh looks. Seto stopped at the doorway and turned around. "Mark my words! You're making a very big mistake. You will pay...not by me...but you will pay." Seto vowed, eyes flashing blue fire.

"Seto!" A young boy ran through the crowd at a desperate pace, hoping to catch his "big brother" before he was gone. "Seto, wait up!" He called down the hallway.

The Dragon Paladin was halfway down the steps to the castle when he finally chose to pause in mid-step. He turned around and saw the boy he had grown to love as a true brother. The only person he considered family. "Mokuba..."

"Seto!" Mokuba raced down the stairs and grabbed his hand. "Don't go! I'll be alone and-"

"Ssh..." Seto unsuccessfully attempted to smile. "You're not alone. You'll be safer here. I must go and become what I was born and bred for. To lead my kin." He knelt down till he was face to face.

Mokuba blinked away tears. "You really are a Dragon, aren't you?" He blurted out.

Seto nodded silently. "How long have you known?" He whispered.

The boy bit his lip and looked away to the pale moon not meeting his eyes. "I knew when you started...acting like one."

Seto sighed. "Yes, I am...one. But there is reason why I was made human first and I have yet to figure that out. For now...I must go and you must stay here."

Mokuba looked to him with shining eyes. "Will I ever see you again?"

The Knight became sad and shook his head. "I don't know for sure...but I fear the answer is no." With that, he hugged the boy tightly and held back his own tears as Mokuba sobbed. "Stay strong, kid. Remember what I told you. I know for a fact that you will make a great Knight." The boy still held such dreams.

"I love you, big brother." Mokuba whispered, hiccuping.

* * *

"I'm thoroughly disappointed in you three!" Tea scolded the trio of Knights before her.

"We apologize, your Highness-" Joey began.

"Your apology isn't going to bring Seto back!" She yelled. "He was one of our wisest and would have given his life for any one of you, no matter what." The three stared at the ground, guilt filling their hearts.

Tea sighed and held her throbbing temples. "You are dismissed." She finally said and all left including Ryou, except for Yami who eyed the Princess with concern.

"My Lady...do you need an escort to your room?" He asked softly, noticing she was very tired and distressed.

Tea sighed and smiled gratefully at Yami who smiled back. 'He's so sweet!' "Thanks but not thanks, Yami. You are too kind." She stepped up to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She giggled at the shocked look on his face, which was starting to turn a rather rosy red...

"Er...uh..." He stuttered, wanting to say something.

"Goodnight, Yami." Tea yawned and headed in the direction of her room leaving a stunned Knight behind.

Yami breathed in deeply, the scent of her perfume lingering in the air. "Goodnight Tea." He murmured and returned to his post for the last hour of his duty.

Meanwhile, deep inside the forest, Seto fell to the ground, panting heavily. The transformation was almost complete and for that he was glad because he felt like he was on the edge of death. His eyes were adjusted to the night, baring an eerie yellow orb surrounding his pupil. The natural beautiful blue in the eyes was still there though. His skin had become deathly white and the bluish tint was slightly visible. All his teeth were long and sharp, spilling more blood because his mouth had not grown yet to accommodate the new fangs.

"Why...is it...happening...so fast!" He croaked out in a hoarse voice. What he didn't know was that his will to become what he in blood was, was stronger than anything else thus causing the transformation to occur faster. He _needed _to be a Dragon.

All of a sudden, a sharp burst of pain ripped through him and he let out an anguished cry that ended in a menacing roar.

Huge glamorous wings spread from his body. His neck had grown longer and thicker, supporting a head with two large horns at the side of his mouth. His body was bigger and more muscular with short powerful thighs and legs. A long and thickset broad tail whipped around wildly.

The transformation was complete.

* * *

The next morning, Tea awoke to the sound of yelling and screaming, and to the smell of smoke. Outside the castle and her room, people and servants were bustling around and calling out orders or other things. Confused, Tea pushed back the covers and swung her legs over her bed. Just then, Mai burst in, face flushed with a frantic look on her face. "TEA!" She screamed.

"Mai! What is it? What's going on?" She demanded and grabbed her robe.

Mai stood there, shaking. "Look!" She pointed out Tea's window and the Princess followed her gaze and her eyes widened.

Outside to the North, dark smoke was rising from behind some mountains. That could only mean one thing.

"Oh no..." Tea whispered, bringing her fingers to her lips.

Mai inhaled sharply. "They're coming!"


	3. Caught!

**A/N: I don't own YGO. Thanks for the reviews! Very much appreciated and they give me incentive to start writing right away! Not that I wouldn't... '...thoughts...'**

* * *

The Kingdom was in an uproar.

Clearly they hadn't expected an attack for awhile. Tea dressed quickly with the help of Mai and Serenity and then dismissed them. She rushed down the halls passing all the servants and maids and guards expertly as if she'd been trained for it. Screams and wails were amidst the chaos what with everyone fearing for their very lives. Tea didn't blame them; she feared for her life too. At a young age and already trying to rule a Kingdom, who wouldn't? "And now we're going to go to war..." The Princess muttered, making her way to the War Room where she guessed her father and his advisors and generals would be. The War Room, so aptly named, was a room for discussion of strategies and moves during a battle. Currently they were deciding whether this was a ploy to divert their attention from something else, or if it was for real.

"I'm sorry your highness, but you cannot go in there." One guard made a motion to stop her but Tea gave him an angry glare.

"What do you mean I can't go in there! I'm the Princess! The King's Daughter!" Tea fired at him and pushed pass the guard and swung open the door, causing the room's current inhabitants to look up in surprise. "Father!" Tea hurried to the King's side. "Daddy, is it true? Has the Delyan army really set fire to one of our beautiful forests?" Tea demanded, eyes shining with fury.

"I'm afraid so, my child." The King answered sadly. "We suspect that it is them. Already we have sent scouts on horseback to check."

"What of the people who live outside the city? Has someone warned them yet?" Tea asked.

"Not yet, your highness." One of the advisors spoke for the King.

"Well, why doesn't someone go tell them?!" Tea shrieked. "Daddy, if there's one thing I've learned from you, it is to make sure all people of this Kingdom are protected at all costs!" She took a deep breath. "Sorry..."

A heavy sigh escaped the King's lips. "Tea, please return to your room. There's nothing you can do in this situation. Do not fret; everything will be all right."

"Argh!" Tea huffed and turned around, grudgingly obeying her father's will. There really was nothing she could do at the moment. Besides, women weren't permitted to fight and that was what she thought she could do. She had some practice with a sword and could defend herself but surely not against the skilled and perfected. 'Wait! There is something I can do...' She thought as she reached her room where Serenity and Mai awaited her orders. 'I can go and warn the people myself! The fire is northward so that's where they'll be coming from. I'll just start at the East and go around to the South, then to the West, and then I'll be back at the castle.'

"Milady, what are you going to do?" Serenity asked, and Tea could see that she had been crying.

"Serenity? Are you all right?" She asked, walking over to the young girl.

"My brother is going to have to go to battle, isn't he?" Serenity asked, tears threatening to fall again. She loved her brother so much and he hadn't gone to war in all his nineteen years.

Tea was sympathetic. "Serenity...listen. Joey may be a goofball at times but he has proved himself brave and worthy to be a Knight. He is exceptionally skilled in dueling with swords and can handle himself pretty well. That goes for all the Knights. He will be all right. If I know him, he's not going to let some dull-witted ignoramus of a Delyan solider get the best of him!" Tea finished with a smile. "Come on now. I need your help and you too, Mai. I'm going to go warn the people outside the city of the coming war. Nobody is doing their job here in this castle." She frowned thinking back to the confrontation with her father and his advisors.

"You want us...to go with you...outside the city...outside safety!" Mai squeaked. "But I don't even know how to ride a horse!" She pulled at one of her blonde locks.

"You can go with Serenity. She and Joey grew up on a farm and they both can ride well." Tea grinned. "It shouldn't take us longer than a day. The Delyan army will have to go through a lot more forest and mountain, rock and hill, to reach here in time before our army heads out! They'll take 'em head on and win! And Relor will be safe once again!" She grinned.

"Hmm...you sure have a lot of faith in our military." Mai remarked crossing her arms.

"Of course! Especially since Yami will be fighting!" She clasped her hands together. "My Knight in shining armor..."

Mai chuckled. "He may be a Knight but his armor sure isn't shiny!"

"So what do you say, girls?" Tea put her hands on her hips. "Ready to go on an adventure?"

* * *

"Cavalrymen!" The King bellowed catching the five Knights' attention. "As you probably know by now, Relor is going to go to war." He said and watched as their heads bobbed in agreement. "Now, I know how much you want to fight-"

"Oh yeah!" Joey piped up. "I'm going to this to them and that to them..." He made bizarre gestures in the air and everyone present in the Main Hall sweatdropped.

"Joey!" Tristan cleared his throat and kind of nodded his head towards the Monarch. "Ahem..."

"Huh? Oops! Sorry. Hee hee." Joey scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Guess I got a little caught up in the thought of battle!"

"Hn, yes." The King raised an eyebrow. 'This is one of my Knights?' "Anyway, I'm sorry to say you all won't be coming with us."

"Huh? Say what?" Joey gaped.

"Sire, you cannot be serious!" Duke exclaimed.

"What?!" Tristan nearly fell off of his feet.

Only Yami and Ryou remained silent but their expressions clearly showed they were shocked and crestfallen.

"I need someone to stay behind and guard my daughter. If I fall, she is my only heir and hope of ruling this Kingdom." The King explained. "I trust you five to do a good job." He said in a lower voice, frowning at them all. "There will be soldiers left here in the city standing guard but the rest of the Relorian army will leave for the North because that is where we will meet the Enemy."

Ryou shifted uncomfortably and felt his face go red. "Um, sire? I have a confession to make." He stated.

The King faced him. "A confession?"

"Yes." Ryou sighed. "I don't think I can go on much longer hiding this! But the Delyan King is...my older twin brother." He finished with a hopeless look. "But I can assure you, I am very much loyal to Relor." He added quickly.

Everyone stared at him. Finally, the King spoke, "Well Ryou...this is quite a surprise. I never actually seen the King of Delyan but..." He shrugged his shoulders. "I can't risk anything at this time. I'm going to have to have you locked up in the dungeons. Do you understand?"

Ryou opened his mouth and then closed it. He nodded numbly. "I understand, your majesty." He said quietly. The King motioned for two guards and quietly gave them orders. The guards cast suspicious looks at Ryou and removed his weapons and escorted him in the direction of the dungeons.

The King turned towards the rest of them. "I think I have had enough surprises for one day. Please return to your posts. My daughter is in her room so two of you will have to guard her door. You are dismissed." He turned around and called to his assistants and disappeared to his chambers to put his armor on.

Ryou shamefully kept his head down, not wanting to look at back at his fellow comrades. In all truth, he felt relieved he no longer had to hide it. But inside, he was miserable about not being able to fight, much less guard the castle. He was loyal to Relor and the Knights and the King knew that. Still, they couldn't take any chances. All knew the Relor military was not quite as large as the Delyan armed forces, but they carried the hope of victory because they had lived in peace for many years with other lands, had they not? But the reason for their times of peace was the Dragons.

* * *

Two hours passed and Tea was still upstairs in her room, waiting for Mai and Serenity to return with proper clothing to ride a horse. She stepped outside onto the balcony and gazed in the direction of where smoke was still rising. The army had already left. She hoped Relor would be triumphant. All of a sudden, a horrific roar filled her ears and she covered them, wincing at the high volume of the roar. She glanced around wildly looking for the source and looked skyward. What she saw made her mouth drop open so wide... "D-dr-dragons!" She cried out and from the looks of the city, people had also spotted them. Flying overhead was about thirty Dragons of every color, mostly greens, golds, and blacks, heading South. Like birds that flee southward to escape the coming cold. Leading them was the largest and most powerful of all, the legendary, the mysterious Blue Eyes White Dragon. "It's true! The old wives' tale! Seto was right!" She shouted. Behind her, the door swung open and Mai and Serenity joined her at the balcony.

"So...they were protecting us all these years..." Serenity breathed.

"Oh no! I-I feel so..." Tea's shoulders sank. "Seto...he tried to tell us! He-"

He was gone.

Below in the gardens, Mokuba watched in awe as the mighty beasts passed by. The leader, the Blue Eyes, turned its long neck and seemingly stared at Mokuba, right in the eyes. The child opened his mouth but didn't say anything. His eyes were so huge, they almost bulged out. The White Dragon roared softly and then faced frontward. "They're leaving..." He whispered and tears began to stream down his cheekbones. "Seto's leaving..."

In the dungeons, Ryou propped up a bench and stepped on it to see outside through the bars. He too saw the fierce predators disappear into the Southside Mountains. "They're real..." Ryou stated and grimaced. "And we're doomed."

"Good Grief!" Joey swore and muttered several other curses. "This is not real. This is not happening. This is-"

"Snap out of it, Joey!" Tristan said brusquely. "I wonder if the Dragons started the fire."

"What are we going to do?!" Duke moaned. "The stories were true! Seto was telling the truth!"

"And we drove him away." Yami said and a low voice and the others faced him. "It is all our fault and now we pay the consequences."

"...I remember what Seto said before he left!" Tristan shuddered.

_"Mark my words! You're making a very big mistake. You will pay...not by me...but you will pay."_

"Are you saying we're all going to die?" Duke questioned the tri-colored hair Knight.

Yami looked at him with a serious gaze. "No. Whether the Dragons are gone forever or if they return, we will fight and stand our ground for this beautiful land and for the Princess. To the death if necessary but I trust you all are going to do your best to stay alive..."

"You bet!" Joey punched the air. "We're going trash those Delyan dummies!"

"I hope so." Yami concluded. "I hope so."

* * *

A rider was sent to warn the King and he had to ride for a long time. The Relor army had covered a lot of ground and were soon deep in the mountains, the smell of smoke becoming stronger. Soon the rider reached the army, shouting for the King. Apparently the entire Kingdom thought the Dragons were responsible for the fire, not the Delyan army. The two met at the front. "Your majesty!" The rider said breathlessly. "The Dragons! They exist! The whole city saw them. They must've started the forest fire!" He explained.

"What? Dragons don't exist!" The King snapped. "Are you delirious?" After all, it had been a long trip and maybe the rider hadn't had anything to drink or eat to keep his strength up. He could have been hallucinating.

"No, sire!" The rider insisted. "I'm telling the truth. Everyone saw them!" There was a look of panic on his youthful face.

The King considered this for a moment. What was he to do? Continue on and make sure it wasn't the enemy? Or head back? It was a tough decision but in the end the King decided to keep going, just to be sure. Plus they'd have to put out the fire anyway.

* * *

Tea sat on her bed, dressed in a forest green tunic with white trousers and knee-high brown boots. Mai and Serenity wore similar clothing only they were both in red. Still trying to get over the shock, Tea looked up and spoke to her maids. "Are you ready? Where is my sword?" She was handed one of her father's old swords, which was still quite usable. "I'm sure the Dragons started the fire. I can't believe Seto said they would protect us." She sighed. "Well, we'd better go and warn the countryside people anyway, just so they know to keep an eye out." She stood up and the two females followed her to the stables. The Knights hadn't returned yet to their posts so everything was clear.

When they reached the stable, Tea selected a brown horse while Serenity chose a black one and helped Mai up once she was on herself. Mai made a face. "This animal stinks!" She held one hand over her nose.

Serenity laughed and assured her, "You'll get used to it soon."

"All right, girls, ready to go?" Tea asked, gripping the reins of the majestic horse.

"Yes milady." Came the chorus of replies. Mai looked uncomfortable as she held on to Serenity's shoulders.

"Off we go!" The trio left the stables, passed through the castle gates into the east...

* * *

The Delyan army had finally reached the base of the Eastern Mountains. They would officially be in the Relorian Kingdom (not in the city) by nightfall. If all went according to plan, the Relor King and his men would be at the edge of the Northern Mountains where the fire was raging and where they would soon realize they had been tricked. Bakura planned to give his men one last break when they reached the forest on the other side of the mountains, and then he would break them out into groups and order them where to go. They would reach the city itself by 0300hrs.

Marik kept his head down against the blazing sun. It would cool down around the evening but right now, it was almost unbearable. With the fire going, smoke and ashes would soon make their way into the Kingdom and rest of the mountains, lakes, and forests. It would be like a desert and he was not looking forward to that. Lately he'd been going over plans in his head for his sister and himself to make their escape. If they went back north, they would have a run-in with the Delyan Land. If they went east, they would find themselves in more Delyan territory. The west led out to the sea and he certainly did not want to risk running into a storm in the deep. So the only other logical and convenient choice was to go south where new lands roamed untouched by the Delyan King and that would mean new faces, new problems. But it was better than staying where he was. 'I guess it's settled. Ishizhu and I will escape tonight!' He silently declared. 'Now to convince her...'

Bakura wondered if he would see his long lost twin brother. Ryou had been given up for adoption and somehow ended up in Relor. Bakura, being the oldest, had been kept and raised strictly by his parents so that one day he might take the Throne. Not wanting to wait any longer, Bakura, when he was sixteen, had his father killed and disowned his mother. He had matured greatly since then and would be a great ruler if he wasn't so cruel and totalitarian.

He narrowed his eyes and stared into the trees, which were often filled with songbirds and the forest itself looked inviting to onlookers. But in this case, they were quiet and unnerving as if they somehow sensed a sinister plan... 'What complete and utter nonsense.' He thought and kicked his horse a bit to get it to move faster. The horse whined and obeyed its master.

Marik meanwhile raised his head and looked for his sister. She was on the left side of the troops, staring straight ahead with a stony expression. He had to figure out someway to tell her about his plan to escape without the soldiers hearing.

Southward...

The Blue Eyed Legend gave another astounding roar and flew to the peak of the largest mountain. Able to breath at such high levels, Seto stood perched on it and watched as the rest of his kin flew by and descended into the Southern Forest below to await his command. On the outside, Seto was proud and full of pride as he flapped his mighty wings, beaming at his new body. The one thing he had been waiting for his whole life was here!

But deep inside, he was despondent and felt like his heart was going to break. As much as he did not want to believe it, Relor had always been and would always be his true home, not matter how much he loathed the city people and the five Knights who had been his friends. Yes, Joey, Tristan, and Duke had been friends with him, even after and before the teasing began. Ryou and Yami were the closest to him of the five, sharing in his ever-silent demeanor and seriousness.

Tea, the Princess, had become a friend as well. Seto saw her as the sister he never had. And he couldn't forget Mokuba, the boy he called "little brother", "kid". 'What have I done?' He thought sadly and decided to spend the rest of the day atop the mountain, contemplating over his decision. He had done the right thing, hadn't he? Seto looked to the north not surprised in the least by the fire. There was no doubt who had caused it. He wondered vaguely if the people thought it was the Dragons who started the fire because of their failure to believe. He hoped not. Then again, it would make it easier for him to leave if they blamed his kin. Then he could forget everything about the place and leave for good.

'Yes, I will go.' He declared but could not deny and ignore the unsure feelings swelling up inside of him. 'This is ridiculous. I shouldn't feel uneasy about my decision. I owe those people nothing. All these years my kindred have put their lives on the line just to keep ungrateful people safe.' He bared his fangs, a low growl emitting from his throat.

At the castle...

Yami and Tristan stood by Tea's door, guarding her room. No one had left or even come in since they were there and no noise had been heard from the inside to indicate life. "Yami?" Tristan whispered and the other Knight turned to him. "I've been wondering about this for the past hour: Is the Princess even in her room?"

"Hn." Yami nodded. "I've been wondering about that too. The castle is...too quiet. Perhaps she is sleeping." He hoped she was. The Princess had too much on her shoulders and deserved a good night's sleep.

"Yeah, maybe..." Tristan frowned. "But how do we know for sure? We are supposed to protect her from anything and everything so what if something's happened to her?" He himself would much rather fight than guard but still obeyed his orders to stay in front of her doors.

Yami was thoughtful. "We will wait until dinner is made. If she does not come out by then, then something is wrong and we will look into it." He responded.

* * *

The day passed by and Mokuba stayed in his room, Seto's old room, and lay under the covers, depressed. He ate very little and hardly talked to anyone. With war on the horizon, Relor's once sealed fate had been broken and there was no chance Relor would survive the attack.

Dinner would be served in an hour and Mokuba was not going to be attending. Now what would he do? Seto was basically his guardian and everyone was nice to him and allowing him to live in the castle because of Seto. Where could he go now? If the King of Delyan succeeded in controlling all of Relor, would his life be spared? Or would he become a slave which was worse than living by yourself.

A sigh was heard and Mokuba stared at the ceiling, wondering how long it would be before the Delyan army would arrive to stake their claim. All hope was lost; the peace Relor once knew would be gone. 'Maybe I should run away tonight.' Mokuba thought, mentally going over the possibilities. 'But where would I go? I don't know anything about things outside of Relor. Maybe I should just wait until I'm older. But then...I was able to live by myself for a month. If I go now, I can do the same and take some food and supplies from the castle and leave.' Mokuba smiled. It sounded like a good idea.

The young boy pushed back the soft covers and jumped out of bed. "I need a bag or something..." Mokuba muttered out loud, opening a large trunk that belonged to Seto. He dug through its contents, which were mostly clothes. "Seto didn't have a lot of stuff." He said aloud. "Ah, here's one!" He pulled out a large sack with a string at the top to tie shut. "This should be able to hold everything." He tossed it onto the bed and started gathering his clothes. The Princess had made sure he had some new ones that weren't ripped and dirty. Mokuba had been ecstatic with everything he had received.

All of a sudden, a frightened feeling overwhelmed him and Mokuba dropped all that he held in his hands. He had overlooked the fact that he was still a scared little boy and going to a new place far away from his home was indeed frightening. "I can't do this..." He whispered, wiping away a tear. "I just can't!" He wailed and dropped to his knees, sobbing. "Seto, I need you here!" He whispered between sobs. "Everyone needs you! Relor needs you!" He cried out, coming to the realization that he and everyone else could die if Seto didn't return with the Dragons. If not die, made into serfs.

A few minutes later, he found himself wandering the halls, passing each servant, maid, and guard in silence. Mokuba decided to just stay in the castle and hide if the army entered the city. 'Maybe a slave won't be too bad.' He thought as he walked slowly down some stairs. He had never explored that part of the castle. 'Maybe there's a good hiding place down here.' He cautiously approached the door that was at the bottom of the stairs. It was wide and made of wood with a small window lined with thin metal bars. The boy was too short to see inside so he hesitantly reached for the round ring that served as a doorknob. Just then, voices were heard and it seemed they were coming closer. Filled with worry, Mokuba ran back up the stairs and reached the top just as the door down there opened. He saw an old Knight's armor standing on display. Without another thought, he dove for cover behind it. A few moments later, two guards appeared in that same doorway Mokuba had been only seconds before. They were talking to each other, unaware of watching eyes.

"He won't escape. The man is too loyal." One was saying. "Besides, I'm hungry."

"I hope the cook has something good to eat." The second agreed and soon they disappeared down the hall.

Mokuba frowned, wondering what the two watchmen were discussing. Being the curious child he was, Mokuba descended down the stairs once more, certain there were no more guards. He reached the same door again and grabbed the ring and slowly pulled the door towards him. He poked his head inside as the door revealed to show a dungeon. The air smelled of mildew felt cold and damp. It was dark as the dungeon windows faced the east so torches were lit. Relor was a peaceful Kingdom so there were often no prisoners. But Mokuba could sense he was not alone in the room.

"Mokuba?"

The boy gasped and spun around. There in the far cell was none other than Sir Ryou.

* * *

The three young women ventured farther and farther into the forest. They were following an old road and Tea had suspected someone must have been living out this far. "Milady, we really should return to the castle!" Serenity said after awhile. "It's getting dark and I'm sure everyone is worried about you."

"Yes." Mai concurred. "We aren't even supposed to be out here!" She nervously clutched on to Serenity's shoulders, worried she might fall off of the mighty horse.

"Oh we'll be back this evening." Tea dismissed their comments. "Besides, if the Delyan army really is here, they'd be coming from the north where the fire is. For now, we keep going until I'm sure there is no one living out this far." She said with a tone of finality. "Just enjoy the ride." She said in a softer tone.

"How can I when I can barely breathe?" Mai coughed, noticing the effects of the fire. "Obviously that fire has not been put out yet." She remarked sullenly.

Tea sniffed the air. "No it hasn't." She silently urged the horse forward and her thoughts drifted to those of Dragons. She still felt guilty about her lack of faith in her friend. The Princess wondered if she would ever see him again. 'Probably not.' She sighed.

Meanwhile, Serenity squinted her eyes and strained her ears. 'I thought I heard something.' She mused. "Your highness...I think we should head back now." She said anxiously.

Tea looked back at her and frowned. "Why?" She slowed the horse down slightly.

"I-I heard something...or someone." Serenity explained, biting her lip. Tea followed her gaze and saw the darkened forest. She listened carefully and then she heard it. The sound of horses and the steps they took, pounding on the dry earth.

"You're right." Tea breathed and briefly wondered if she should investigate. She really didn't want to get into any trouble if that was her father returning. But why would be returning from that direction? 'Maybe I should make an inspection.' She thought and slipped off her horse quietly.

"Your highness!" Serenity called out softly. "Where are you going?"

"To find out what's going on!" She replied. "It's my duty to."

"Yes, but you usually are supposed to do so when guards or soldiers, even Knights, are present." Mai reminded her, looking very worried herself.

"Don't worry about me, girls." Tea smiled reassuringly at them. "Why do you think I brought my father's sword? I have had some training you know."

Mai and Serenity still looked unconvinced. Then Mai spoke again. "Well your highness, you are not going anywhere without me! I may be a maid but that doesn't mean I know self-defense!" A Mai-like smirk crossed her face.

Serenity helped Mai down from the horse. "If it is all right milady, I'll stay here with the horses." She took the reins from Tea who nodded her approval.

"Thank you. You two are good friends." Tea grinned at them gratefully. "Now, let's go and try to be quiet." She warned Mai as they entered the woods. Mai nodded and followed her Princess. The two girls carefully stepped over loose branches and twigs and their eyes darted about, looking for unfamiliar faces. They continued on for a few more steps when Tea held her hand up, indicating to stop. The two girls froze, hearing voices. Tea narrowed her eyes and saw...horses with soldiers on top, bearing the symbol of Delyan. She gasped and Mai stifled a cry. Suddenly a scream cut through the air and without warning, a hand grabbed Mai and covered her mouth, holding a knife to her throat.

Tea stood up and spun around only to find herself face to face with Bakura. Her mouth dropped open.

Bakura smirked. "Well, what do we have here?"


	4. Discoveries

**A/N: I do not own YGO. **

* * *

Tea gaped at the King. He was a carbon copy of Sir Ryou, one of the Knights. They would have looked exactly alike if it weren't for his slanted evil eyes and the two points of his white hair that stood out like horns. He was dressed in a heavy black tunic and covering with black boots and of course, black leggings with a black fur overcoat. In fact, all of the Delyan army was dressed in similar clothing mostly because they had come from the North and, as most know, it can get quite cold in the North. The Princess wondered vaguely if they had experienced the warm weather in Relor yet. 'What? What am I thinking? This is no time to wonder if they've felt the change in weather!' Tea scolded herself as she stood her ground, an expression of defiance on her face. Somewhere else, Mai was being tied up with a gag in her mouth. Her body movements and expression showed that of fear but in her eyes a purple fire blazed with anger and she lashed out with her foot at one soldier, hitting him in the groin.

"Gah!" The soldier stumbled back, swearing at the young blonde maid. Mai smirked as best as anyone could when you have a gag in your mouth. 'Serves him right!' She thought, gleeful that she had managed to inflict pain on the soldier. But she knew she wouldn't be shown much mercy later on. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Serenity being hauled over, she too tied up and gagged. Their horses were nowhere in sight. Mai, as much as she despised the gentle beasts, hoped they had escaped towards the castle. If one of the Knights saw the horses returning without riders, they might suspect something was up and that was what gave her hope. Unless all of them were as slow as Joey. 'In that case, we're doomed!' She cringed.

"Maids! Of the castle no doubt." Bakura declared as he motioned for two soldiers to do the same to Tea. The King did not yet know she was the Princess. "What were you lovely ladies doing out this far from your nest?" He questioned arrogantly, smirking. Behind him, he could hear Mai's low unladylike snarl. 'Such feisty women. No matter; they too will share in the fate of their Kingdom.' At this point in time, he had settled on slavery, believing Relor's citizens might be of some use.

"None of your business, you snake!' Tea spat, struggling against the two men. She however was no match for the duo of strong soldiers. Within seconds she was bound and gagged. 'This is just great! Maybe I should have listened to my father...'

Bakura merely crossed his arms, not offended in the least. "Is that the best you could come up with? By now your pathetic King and his army should be at the fire." He chuckled softly to himself. "Relor is full of fools." He couldn't believe how easy it had been to deceive them. 'I'm so clever, I scare myself sometimes.'

Tea wriggled out of the soldiers' grip and tried to run away but not before coming face to face with even more servicemen. The Princess was proving to be a quite a challenge for the men to contain. Bakura, amused at her actions, drew out his sword and a muffled scream was heard just before he brought down the handle upon her head, causing her to black out. "There." He then gave orders for the three young women to be put away and hidden from view. 'They might come in handy in case there is more trouble ahead.'

At a short distance away, Marik watched the whole ordeal, feeling sympathetic towards the girls. They had been so bad at trying to sneak up on the army without making a noise but they still didn't deserve such treatment. Ishizhu also witnessed the whole thing and knew right away that the one with brown hair was the Princess, daughter of the Relorian King. The blonde one and the auburn colored one were most likely her maids or her friends. She wondered what they were doing out so far from safety. Unless the Princess was the kind to be swayed easily by friends or just general foolhardy and reckless. Whatever the case was, she shouldn't have been out here. She too, felt pity, like her brother.

While everyone was preoccupied with their hostages, the soldiers began to talk and whisper among themselves. Satisfied with the distraction, Marik brought his horse closer to Ishizhu and prepared to tell her of his plan. However, he didn't get his chance when he heard his sister's voice echoing inside his mind.

_You have a plan, brother. To escape the nightmare and flee to the South in hopes of a better future._

Marik's eyes widened as he stared at her in shock. Sometimes he forgot she was capable of such power but her power did have some limits and was not completely invincible. He nodded numbly.

Ishizhu smiled. _Marik...I will go. _

An optimistic look came into his eyes. "Really?" He whispered.

_Yes. But you must go first. The King will order you and I will join you soon after._

Marik was confused. "Uh..." Ishizhu often spoke in riddles or what seemed like riddles to him. "The King will order me?"

_Be patient. I am saddened by the fact that we cannot rescue those girls ourselves before they endure anymore pain...but I have foreseen their liberation._

* * *

"What..." Mokuba continued to stare at Ryou in shock. "How-why are you down here? Shouldn't you be out there...fighting or something?" The child demanded, startled at the sight of one of the most trusted and gallant Knights sitting like a beggar in the dungeons. "Did you do something bad?" 

"Worse." Ryou answered dully. "I lost my honor and trust as a Knight. I...I made a confession to the King...that I was the twin brother of the King of Delyan." His voice lowered to a whisper.

Mokuba gasped. "Really?" He pressed. "Are you really his...twin brother?" The child stepped closer to the cell and leaned against the bars, his hands clinging to them.

Ryou looked up at him with a saddened appearance. "Yes. I was given up by my parents." A hardened look. "I was only three years old and that was the hardest thing I ever had to endure. I cried for hours, for days! A man, I remember him being forty-one years old at the time, took me in when he found me in a house full of children who were adopted. I didn't like it there so I was happy to go. He was very kind to me and I called him my father even though I knew who my real father was." Ryou began to explain his life's story. "As it turns out, he lived in a small village in the far out country of Relor. There, he raised me as if I was his own. When I was older, I was interested in Knights and Swords and the whole thing. My father, not my real one, had been a Knight but had retired to farming because he had a greater desire for that. He had been serving the King and the King's Father for many years."

Mokuba listened closely as Ryou continued, lost in another world. "I was ten at the time, a little older than you, and he began to teach me how to use a sword properly. The years went by and I became better at it. I was thirteen when I met the other Knights. And fourteen when I became one in training, then at sixteen I became one, a very young age for a Knight. But I wasn't the youngest to become one. Seto was, having been a Knight-in-training since he was twelve and he became a Knight at fifteen. The others had become Knights at seventeen years old." A small smile crept into his face.

"Kinda makes you feel special, huh?" Mokuba observed, giving the seventeen-year-old a warm smile. He definitely understood how Ryou must've felt even if he wasn't given up for adoption. He only had experienced that lonely feeling for a month!

The Knight looked up at him, grateful for the smile. "Yeah it does. Anyway, my father is still alive. I hope he'll be all right when the Delyan Army does actually arrive."

"I'm sure he knows how to defend himself." Mokuba said. "I want to be Knight someday." He added as an afterthought. Then he was brought back to reality as he remembered Ryou's words. "Delyan army! I forgot they were coming!" He exclaimed.

Ryou sweatdropped. "How, pray tell, were you able to forget something as important as that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. This young boy was a strange one.

"Well," Mokuba began, remembering wise words. "Seto told me not to worry about things that haven't happened yet. To enjoy life to the fullest." Even so, Mokuba was still very worried about the coming of the Delyan Military. "Anyway, you shouldn't be in here. They should trust you! You should be out there fighting for Relor." Mokuba said.

Ryou looked down at the dungeon floor. "I wish. But I have to regain my honor and trust first...somehow." He responded. "Then maybe the King will permit me to fight and defend for him."

Mokuba was silent for a moment and then his face lit up. "I know! Why don't you help me find Seto?" He suggested. "If we bring Seto back, the Dragons will follow." He felt the excitement growing within him. He would see Seto again! Not only that, he loved the thought of going on an adventure.

The Knight of white hair just stared at him, blinking. Then, "Huh? You want to go after Sir Seto?" He stood up from his sitting position. "But...he's gone by now! I think...what makes you believe he will listen to us? All of the people...we've been so cruel to him." Ryou grimaced, remembering the night of the ball. "Besides, didn't the Dragons start the fire?

Mokuba sighed as he turned around, looking for the keys. "Seto will listen to me. I know he will." He paused. "He has to...and I don't believe that they started the fire. I know they didn't."

Suddenly the two heard a door open and more voices. The guards were coming back. Mokuba spun around to face Ryou who had a panicked look on his face. "I'm coming for you tonight!" He whispered and then looked for a place to hide. He decided to hide by the door in the darkened corner. Once the guards stepped in, he would sneak past them, behind them, and head back to his room, after eating dinner. Then he would go back for Ryou.

"Wait, Mokuba-" Ryou became silent as the guards drew nearer. 'What have I gotten myself into now?'

* * *

The majestic-looking Blue Eyes White Dragon flew through the muggy air, away from Relor. It was time to move on and find a new place to dwell. But Seto would miss Relor as much as he tried to deny it. He took a glance at behind him and searched the other Dragons' faces. They were unreadable. He wasn't surprised though. Seto was certain though that their true feelings were concealed about what they really thought of the Relorian people. After all, he wasn't the only one who had to tolerate hurtful remarks. 

Seto let out a cry of a different kind of tone and settled himself down in an old forest far from his former home. He was hungry and he recalled not eating much before he left. The grand ball was only last night. Seto sniffed the air, his keen senses picking up on prey. His kindred followed suit, landing on the soft earth and they too began to search for food.

They spread out and Seto had already found and caught a meal. More wolverines. 'I never thought I'd say this, or think this, but wolverines sure make a darn tasty meal.' Seto thought, licking his lips. In a morbid strange way, it reminded him of stew. Stew, Relor, Mokuba...misery overcame him and he sought out the Elder of the Dragons would be his Grandfather. His parents were long gone.

Seto allowed a low non-hostile growl. The Elder looked up from his meal, sensing the approach of his...grandson. The Elder swooped down again and finished his prey quickly and then looked up. The Elder was a beautiful Dragon with red eyes, black scales and wings tipped with gold. Together, they began to communicate telepathically.

_Grandfather. _

_Grandson. We've long awaited your leadership._

_Yes I know. I...I have a question. You were a leader once..._

_Only a temporary leader, yes. You are our true one. The immortal. You will remain for many years to come. _

_Hmm. I understand but I want to know...why was I human for the first years of my life?_

..._Grandson...you were human for those long years because you needed to understand something else. You had great qualities within you to become a great leader. Courage, Strength, Power, Loyalty, Knowledge, Fairness, Nobility, and Honor._

Those had been the exact words Seto had recited to Mokuba when they had been discussing Knights. How strange. Seto didn't believe he had loyalty in him now. In a way, he had betrayed Relor. But he was loyal to his kin, wasn't he? He had returned to them. The Elder went on.

_But you lacked two other emotions, which were necessary for you to attain true leadership: Love and Friendship. Through these you will also gain the very last attribute: Wisdom. You have learned these feelings already._

_Yes but...I've left my friends and Mokuba, my adopted little brother. Will I still become a great leader? _

_That is not for me to decide. I am happy to be leaving but my heart is also saddened because Relor was a beautiful land to live in. _

Seto inwardly grimaced and looked towards the West where the sun was slowly setting, never to be seen again till dawn. Little did he know the night of terror was only beginning.

* * *

Yami quietly walked up a few stairs until he entered the long hallway where Princess Tea dwelt. She still hadn't come out of her room and frankly, he was becoming very worried. Her father and the army hadn't returned yet and the air smelt of smoke and ash and no matter how hard he tried, he could not ignore the feeling of dread growing in the pit of his stomach. Something was indeed wrong and the city and outer surroundings were too still. 

He reached her door and gently knocked upon it. "Your highness? Dinner has already been served." He called and waited for a few moments. No answer, no sound, no reply whatsoever. The Knight debated on the pros and cons of opening the door to her room. If he opened it, he would feel better seeing her in person or even hearing it. But if he didn't and she never appeared later on, he could be responsible for losing her or worse, especially since she had been the jewel the Knights were supposed to defend and keep safe. She was Relor's next monarch.

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Not wanting to delay any longer, Yami gave in to his instinct and turned the doorknob and peered inside. "Your majesty? Forgive me but-" He stopped short when he noticed an empty bed, bathroom, and overall, an empty room. The Princess was gone.

"Princess!" Yami stepped inside and frantically searched the room. "Your highness? Tea?" He ran to the balcony where the doors had been left open. No sign of a rope or anything. Of course if she had escaped through her balcony, many would have seen her. The only other explanation...

Yami frowned. "But...how-" He spun around and dashed out the room. There was no time to lose.

The Princess had to be found before the enemy moved in.


	5. Escape

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I don't own YGO. Sorry about the wait.**

* * *

The Elder waited patiently for Seto's decision. It was up to him to decide, hopefully soon, whether he truly wanted to go or stay. Other than that, the Dragons stayed low in the forest, awaiting their master's call or order. Smoke still hung in the air although they couldn't see it; they could smell it and it was horrible because they had keener senses. But at least it wasn't that strong.

Seto silently weighed his options. There was a tug at his heart, pulling him in the direction of the choice of returning. Yet, he did not want to but he couldn't just leave it to its doom when he could do something. Could he? Seto was the type of person, the kind of Knight that always came to someone's rescue be it a peasant or noble. He possessed all those qualities his grandfather had mentioned and he had experienced love and friendship but now it seemed like they were fading away, for revenge and hatred had welled up inside, creating invisible walls. He wanted vengeance, an eye for an eye.

But that was not how a good leader was supposed to act.

Guilt flowed through him but self-justification flowed as well.

In that moment he made a decision.

* * *

Sir Ryou sat silently in his cell. The sun was over the western mountains, providing only faint light for the last moments of the day. He anxiously awaited Mokuba, hoping to perhaps talk the boy out of his plan. He seriously doubted they would find the former Knight, no the Dragon Knight, just on the edge of Relor. They would certainly be miles and miles away by now, wouldn't they? He secretly hoped they weren't. 'They were our last hope and we drove them away...' Ryou thought sadly, a heavy sigh escaping him.

The same two guards that had left to eat had long since returned and were playing cards. Once in awhile they would look at him with a sneer and throw nasty comments his way, usually about his failure to remain loyal to the King. Ryou however did not ignore them completely, quickly finding they would say worse things. No, instead he just stared at them with blank chestnut eyes, clearly stating he did not care anymore. He found that when he did this, they would laugh kind of awkwardly and look away, getting back to their playing cards. 'How little they know.' Ryou sighed once more but his ears perked up when he heard the sound of a door opening. 'Can it be...?' He wondered, feeling slight hope rise up within him.

"Um..." Yes it was! Mokuba stuck his head inside the dungeon with fearful eyes that reminded Ryou of a wild animal, just waiting for the presumed enemy to attack. His raven colored hair was surprisingly neat and tied back. He wore different clothes from before. A dusty brown tunic with a beige shirt underneath and dark brown leggings with brown boots. His wardrobe had indeed changed. "Sorry to interrupt but..." His youthful voice trailed off, expecting a backlash of remarks.

"Spit it out, kid! We don't have all day." The first one said. He was rather big boned with a long black moustache. His armor was too small for him. The other was very thin and tall with large owlish eyes. From both of them, emitted an unpleasing smell that caused the child to wrinkle his nose in disgust. "What're you doing down here anyway?" The air reeked of old ale and stale bread.

"I...I was supposed to deliver a message to you two." Mokuba stammered looking tearfully at them. "One of the Knights requires your assistance..." He blinked, having no excuse of why one of the respected Knights would need the help of a low-class guard with even lower principles. "Please..."

The second guard stood up. "Golly-gee!" The tall one exclaimed, showing a toothless grin. "One of the Knights needs our help, Bentley!" He knocked over his chair in the excitement to rush to the aid of the Knight.

However, the first one was not so eager. He raised a bushy eyebrow up and stared at Mokuba with suspicious eyes. "Are you sure? You don't look like a messenger." He drawled, voice leaden with hostility.

Mokuba nodded vigorously. "Uh huh!" He answered in a high-pitched voice. He managed a small innocent smile at the guard.

The guard nodded stiffly. "All right then. We'll have to send another guard to watch this here prisoner." He gestured towards the wide-eyed Ryou. They could not see the reason for his disbelief. The boy was lying. "You stay here and watch 'im." The guard said and left the room with his companion.

Mokuba nodded again slightly dumbfounded to why they would leave a kid to watch a prisoner. Ah well. They didn't look intelligent and they obviously proved it. "Fools." The preteen muttered as the door shut. His smile and pure expression was gone as he raced to the hook where the prison keys hung. Then, after cracking a mischievous grin, he unlocked the door to the prison cell. "Ready to go, sir?" He asked, giving Ryou the proper respect he deserved. "We have to be quick! Another guard is going to come back down here."

"You're clever. Real clever." Ryou observed and smiled at the young boy. "Thank you. And you may call me Ryou." He told him and stretched his arms and legs a bit.

"Okay. Hurry!" Mokuba led the way up the stairs as quietly and quickly as he could without arousing suspicion. He peeked out the door at the top of the stairway. Seeing no one in sight, he opened it completely and dashed down the left hall. "I've got a horse all saddled up, waiting for us! I'll have to ride with you though since I can't ride one." Mokuba explained breathless as they ran.

"You do?" Ryou's eyes widened again. "I didn't know you could saddle up a horse."

"Seto taught me. He was going to teach me how to ride but he left." Mokuba responded with a hint of annoyance. Ryou shamefully remained silent even though he had done nothing wrong. But then, that was it. He hadn't done anything at all to help the Dragon Knight out. Guiltily, he followed Mokuba down towards the stables.

The two males entered and found a gray horse tied to a post, all ready to go. The horse whined softly as Mokuba patted the side of his face. "Er-can you help me up?" Mokuba asked sheepishly. Ryou chuckled and took the boy by the waist and hoisted him up on the horse. After doing so, he got on himself and grabbed the reins. "Head South." Mokuba instructed, hanging onto the horn of the saddle.

Ryou gave a quick command to the horse and off they went.

* * *

Yami climbed up onto his horse after relaying the shocking news to the other Knights. "We must go and find her!" He called out.

Joey frowned. "But ain't we supposed to protect the people?" He asked dumbly.

Yami glared at him, fire in his eyes. "We were also given strict orders to protect the Princess and as you can see, we didn't do a very good job of it!" He snapped, irritated by his comrade's ability to be clueless. "Now, we must find the others and search the forests for her. We must act fast! The Delyan army is well on its way, unless the King stopped them."

The blonde Knight nodded and climbed onto the horse but not before a certain thin guard came up to him. "A little boy said you needed our help?" The guard spoke.

Joey laughed. "I need no help of yours! Someone must've lied." He turned away, following after Yami on his horse. "Yah!"

The guard's jaw dropped. "What? What is it?" The other guard came running up to him.

"He...he didn't need our help. That boy tricked us! Curse him!" The tall and gangly guard swore.

"What?!" The other immediately began to fume.

"Oi!" Another guard called to them from the top of the stairs to the castle. "The prisoner is gone!"

* * *

"Eat."

Tea glared at the food set before her. No doubt it was old food. They were probably conspiring to poison her somehow because she was the Relorian Princess. But wait-did they know? Her heart leapt as she realized the possibility of death if they found out about her title. Then again, they might kill her anyway.

She, Mai, and Serenity were under heavy guard around a campfire. It was break time but only for a little while. Soon they would begin the last of their long journey to Relor. The Princess had to think of a way to escape but that chance was looking very dim at the moment.

The fire was dying down and the King of Delyan came over, snarling at the flames. "Someone does not know how make a fire properly!" He looked to the small group of soldiers. "You! Brother of the Sorceress! Find some more fire wood now!" He ordered.

Marik stood up shakily. Ishizhu had been right! He grimly replied, "Yes, sire." And headed in the southern direction of the forest. The air was still very warm and not very breathable. When he was sure no one was watching, he untied a lone horse from a tree and carefully led him away. Now was his chance!

Mai watched Marik leave with curiosity and interest. 'What's he doing?' She wondered and it came to her in a flash. 'He's trying to escape!' It was rather odd that one would need a horse to gather firewood. She felt hopeful; perhaps there more potential allies among this army.

The time passed quickly and the King frowned remembering something. "That soldier was supposed to be back by it! He's run away!" He hollered and pulled out his sword instinctively. "When I find him, he's going to be very sorry for-"

No!" Ishizhu jumped to her feet. "Please sire, I beg of you! Let me go find him! He will listen to me and I will make sure he is disciplined by me for his traitorous actions." She spoke with a strong voice and immediately invoked her mind powers on the King, praying that none of the generals or soldiers would notice. In her mind, she chanted something in a strange tongue and watched with fascination as the King's eyes clouded over.

"...Yes...go get him and bring him back." The King nodded and pointed toward a horse. "Go now." He almost whispered.

It was so easy yet so tiring. Ishizhu sighed in relief as she went to untie her horse. Controlling and using her powers required a lot of her energy. She wouldn't be able to do that power for a while. At least not until she regained her strength. That was one her downfalls. Marik was the only one that knew of it.

* * *

**A/N: Short yes and I'm sorry. The battle finally begins in the next chapter.**


	6. First Battle

**A/N: I do not own YGO. This chapter's main focus is on Ishizhu, Marik, Ryou, and Mokuba. This is what happens to them for now. The next chapter will focus on the rest of the characters, and what happened do them during the events of this chapter. **

* * *

Ishizhu hoisted herself up onto the brown mare with great difficulty, although she chose to keep it secret from the many watching eyes, including the King, who was still in a trance. He would be out of it in a few minutes however and she had to hurry. The young woman clung to the reins and directed the horse forward, all but quickly. She kept her dark hood over her face and the mare steadily rode over the hardened ground, making its way south. Marik would meet her at the base of the mountains and then together they would ride into freedom. 

The air was no longer thick and smoky. The Relorian army must've succeeded in extinguishing the fire. A small feeling of satisfaction rose within her, as she had been none too pleased at the thought of destroying a beautiful forest. Nevertheless, she hadn't been able to do anything about it; it was the King's orders and she didn't dare disobey him, at least not until the right moment came. Ishizhu figured it wouldn't take the Delyan King Bakura long to notice he had been duped and that one of his soldiers, and the Delyan sorceress, had escaped. He would be furious and would no doubt send some troops after them, soldiers who would be quick to kill the traitors. Then he would lead the others in the Capital and take control of Relor from there.

Some branches hit her shoulders, one of them leaving a scrape on her right cheekbone, causing her hood to fall back, leaving her long raven hair free to fly. She winced at the small sting but willed herself to ignore it and keep going. The horse snorted once or twice but it was a good horse, bred and trained for long distances, running at it's full speed. Ishizhu knew she was fortunate to have such an obedient and strong horse. At least one of them was strong for the journey.

Ishizhu desperately needed to rest. The magic she had used to prey on the King's mind had left her exhausted but she knew great powers did not come without a price. Hopefully after she and her brother passed the Southern Mountains and entered the last of the evergreen landscape, they would be free to go without the burden of someone trailing them. 'Maybe they will become lost in the forests since Delyan is made of only rock and stone with barely any trees. They might be overwhelmed with the amount of forest and give up on finding us.' She thought as the two living beings rode on.

The sun was almost completely gone and the sky was turning from a pink and red to a soft purple and darkened blue. Soon it would become navy and midnight black, and the entire kingdom of Relor would come to be very dangerous and decieving. The soldiers would not be able to tell whether the person in front was friend or foe without a torch. And a torch would give their position away and run the risk of setting fire to yet another forest.

The Knights and soldiers of Relor were on home territory and that gave them an edge, an advantage, a chance for victory in the coming battle. 'Delyan may have won the battle,' Ishizhu thought, referring to the forest fire, 'But they haven't won the war yet.'

Meanwhile, the brother of the enchantress, Marik, was covering a lot of ground and was nearing the base of the mountains. 'So far, so good, I've not come across any great peril.' The young man thought as he passed a small stream. The minutes flew by and Marik found himself at the Southern Mountains. They were a glorious and wonderful sight to look upon and filled the young man with awe and amazement. Snow was visible to the naked eye on the peaks with dark green colors and gray, indicating even more pine trees, and more cold rock. Mountains were truly a wondrous landform, with striking beauty and an impressive state. 'It reminds me of home.' Marik himself believed home was far more splendid but Relor would have to do for now.

Coming towards the south from the west, Ryou and Mokuba were riding at a great speed in hopes of finding the Dragon Knight and bringing him and his kin back to Relor to help them with the war. Mokuba sat in front of Ryou, keeping to himself, being mostly quiet. There really was not much he could do at the moment. Instead he busied himself with the scenery although it was not much different that what he was used to. The wind whipped at his clothing and face, a slight chill on his skin. Sitting close behind, Ryou urged the horse on, his deep brown eyes serious and focused, intent on bringing honor back to the Knights. If the whole city heard about his arrest, they would surely doubt the rest of the Knights. He prayed they hadn't found out yet or to discover it at all.

In the east a pale moon rose casting its eerie glow upon the land but it was not enough to aid the Knights themselves in finding the Delyan soldiers. Ryou grimaced at the thought of battle. He hated to kill but would do so if it meant keeping the King and his daughter safe. He preferred defending rather than going on the offense. Ryou left that to Joey, Duke, Tristan, and Yami, and of course, Seto, who had usually been the leader with Yami as the second in command.

"Do you think we will find him?" Mokuba suddenly asked.

Ryou let out a small sigh, not wanting to give the boy a false answer to rid him of the doubting feelings. "I don't know, Mokuba. I really don't know. We will just have to hope for the best, won't we?"

"Yes." Mokuba agreed. "Thank you for coming, Ryou. It means a lot to me. I mean, Seto is like my big brother...my family." The boy was then silent after that.

They rode on.

Ishizhu was nearing Marik and coincidentally, so was Mokuba and Ryou.

They would soon meet.

The young woman sensed she was coming closer but felt an uneasy notion rise in inside of her. Danger was at hand! "No..." She whispered.

Marik heard the distant pounding of hooves but they were coming from two different directions. Fear struck his heart and it seemed his horse was tense as well. It began to whine and move about and Marik had to steady it to keep it from running away. Just in case it wasn't his sister, he pulled out his sword and held it at the side, wishing he hadn't forgotten his shield but at least he had his armor on. But the helmet was not present and that would definitely protect him even more.

Mokuba squinted his eyes, seeing something in the distance. What was it? Another horse perhaps? 'What if it's the enemy?' He thought worriedly, biting his lip.

Ryou saw it too and narrowed his eyes in a suspicious manner. "Mokuba...take the shield and hold it." Mokuba did as he was told and Ryou took it out his sword, preparing to defend the both of them. "If it's more than one," He began, assuming it was a Delyan solider. "I want you to stay on the horse. If it's just one man, jump off and run into the forest, and hide! Run far away if you wish-just stay out his sight!" He warned in a low voice. Grim determination took over and Ryou mentally and physically readied himself for coming confrontation.

Ishizhu was not as close as the Relorians were and she feared her brother would be attacked. "Hurry!" She called to the horse, issuing a command.

Marik's horse turned to the west, sensing, or rather smelling, the presence of another horse. The young man clamped his teeth together and got ready. "Please, sister, let it be you!" He murmured softly.

Mokuba was near tears. He did not want to die, he didn't want Ryou to die, he wanted both of them to live! They had to! They were the only ones who were embarking on a quest to bring back Relor's last hope. No one else did or would and believed the worst of the Dragons. "Oh Seto..." He said in an undertone. "Help us."

They were getting closer and closer...

Ryou saw him and anger flashed in his eyes. He quickly searched the area for more soldiers but could see none. If they were hiding...well he would just have to take his chances. The Knight with the white hair let out a battle cry and charged head on to Marik.

Mokuba ducked his head and held on tight to the saddle itself, wishing he had sat behind Ryou instead of in front of him. His hand had a tight grip on the shield and he cowered in fear behind it.

Marik was nearly caught off guard and realized at once that it was a soldier of Relor. Marik brought his sword up, clashing with Ryou's. The former Delyan soldier brought his horse back towards a small Cliffside and decided to use that to his advantage. As long as he stayed near it, the enemy soldier could not attack him from behind and he wouldn't have to turn his horse several times to meet up with an onslaught of Relorian sword.

Ryou grunted and brought the sword swinging from the left side only to have it meet again with Marik's sword. He backed off, allowing Mokuba to jump from the horse and onto the ground. Mokuba did just that and ran off with the shield to a nearby bush. He was able to move around more freely and proceeded forward with a vicious circle of attacks.

The Knight thrust the sword forward but Marik brought his own weapon against it, forcing it to the side. Having expecting such a move, Ryou brought the blade back to him and quick as a flash, slashed at Mairk's thigh leaving a thin line of blood visible. Marik swore and backed off swiftly, wincing at the pain but Ryou would not let him leave so suddenly. No, he rode forward and kept up his offensive fight and Marik was left only to defend.

'He's a Knight!' Marik realized, judging by the sophistication of the armor and dazzling show of swordplay. He had heard of the Knights and knew of their skill and bravery. There were none in Delyan and all their soldiers were at almost equal strength, using aggressive combat. Relor's soldiers were the best at defending but a Knight prided himself on knowing both ways and learning new strategies. 'This is not good. Looks like I'm not going to get a chance to explain. I must concentrate on staying alive.' Marik was good but not good enough. Perhaps maybe good enough to hold on for a bit longer but not forever. Ryou would have him sooner or later.

From the bushes, Mokuba watched the battle and knew he would not have to worry about Ryou. However, he couldn't help but feel pity for the opposing soldier. All of a sudden, another horse burst through the trees, bearing a female rider. "Ryou, look out!" He shouted and watched as the woman came to a halt.

Ishizhu gasped. "Stop!" She cried but neither heard her. Using her last bit of strength, she called upon her powers and was able to stop both swords in mid air catching both by surprise. The blades would be there for a few short minutes. She sighed in relief and then leaned off towards the side, and was unhorsed by fatigue.

"Ishizhu!" Marik cried and leapt off of his horse and dashed toward his sister's side. Ignoring everything around him, he brought her head onto his lap. "Oh sister, please be all right!" He murmured. He had no powers of his own and could only sit helplessly.

Ryou, unsure of their intentions, took a long knife out of its sheath on his armor. He dropped from his own horse and stepped forward to the two siblings. He held it out in front of him and Marik looked up in horror as he edged closer. Not one to kill without mercy, especially if the person was defenseless, Ryou stopped and spoke coolly to them, his expression blank. "Do you surrender?" He demanded and released his guard when Marik nodded wildly. "State your business here in the forest of the King." He ordered.

Mokuba raised his eyebrows at the formal and regal tone. Never before had he witnessed the warrior side of Ryou, who had always been at first sight, a shy and well-mannered young man. Slowly, he rose from his hiding place, the shield hanging at his side. Ryou looked up quickly and then looked back to the two siblings once he confirmed it was only Mokuba.

"Please, Sir..." Marik begged. "My sister and I...we mean you no harm! I was only defending myself! Yes I am a soldier of Delyan and she is its sorceress but we have left King Bakura-for good!"

"We have..." Ishizhu clarified and leaned against her brother for support. "Spare our lives and let us go."

They both hadn't quite noticed the similarities between their King and this Knight.

"So...you have betrayed your King?" Ryou asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

Ishizhu nodded and gazed upon him and she gasped once more. "You are his brother!" She blurted out. Marik too looked up at him in shock. "Yet you are a Knight of Relor."

Ryou nodded, suddenly looking embarrassed.

Ishizhu's eyes clouded over and she saw events of the past. "I see...you are an honorable man but you have been taken prisoner because of your relation to him." She pointed out and then she was silent.

"Tell me...why have you left?" Ryou questioned.

"Our King whom we no longer serve, is a terrible leader! He is a dictator, a cruel and sadistic man!" Marik began to explain his wretched deeds.

Mokuba came up behind Ryou and listened carefully. "That's horrible." He said and the Knight nodded in agreement.

"We were hoping to head south and start a new life." Marik finished quietly. "That is, if you will let us go."

Ishizhu then spoke up. "We are not the only ones in pursuit of hope." She whispered and Marik decided it was their turn to ask the questions.

"What about you? If what my sister says is correct, you were a prisoner. How did you escape? And why?" He demanded, wondering if they had an evil ruler as well.

"My escape is thanks to this little boy." Ryou looked down at Mokuba with a faint smile. Mokuba inclined his head, indicating he too trusted them now. "We are on a journey to find the Blue Eyes White Dragon and his kindred. My King and Princess are in dire need of their help-"

"Yet you drove them away with your doubt and insults." Ishizhu cut him off with a look of disapproval.

Ryou breathed in deeply, ashamed. "I know, and for that, I am sorry."

"We have to find him soon or we're doomed!" Mokuba added.

Marik was silent for a few moments and awkwardness settled in the air. "Well, if you don't mind, just to prove our loyalties...we could help you...find the Dragons. Ishizhu here can greatly aid you in your search."

"Yes she can." Mokuba affirmed and looked up at the Knight with the white hair. His eyes went past Ryou for a second and he saw a sight that shocked him. "Ryou, look!" He shouted and pointed to the mountains.

Ryou followed his gaze and finger and his jaw dropped open. "Oh..."


	7. Regret

**A/N: I don't own YGO! Sorry about the wait. Thank you to LoneGothic for pointing out something that I totally forgot about! This chapter focuses on what happened to everyone else excluding those in the previous chapter. Sorry about the shortness but I didn't want to keep you waiting long!**

* * *

All four looked up to see a Dragon flying high above the mountains, making it's way towards...the city of Relor...with several other Dragons behind it.

"They're back!" Mokuba exclaimed, pointing at the creatures while he jumped up and down.

"I...I can't believe it!" Ryou stammered in shock.

"You're very lucky." Marik remarked and then turned pale. "I just remembered something...curses! How could I have forgotten?"

Ishizhu picked up on his thoughts, realizing she too had forgotten one important fact. "The Princess!"

* * *

Bakura was furious!

After figuring out that the enchantress and her brother had betrayed him and escaped, he quickly gathered his entire army and ordered them to go on, to reach the city as fast as possible. "Kill every living thing you see!" Bakura commanded, hoping his men had enough sense not to waste time trying to kill birds or something like that. The people were good enough. "The King and his daughter, all the people of Relor, can thank those traitors for the destruction of their home." The Delyan King hoisted himself onto his black horse and took off, as did all the other horses and men. He sent a charge of five men to find the two traitors. Blood would be spilled this night...

Those in charge of the Princess and her maids put them quickly under a canvas in what appeared to be a large wagon. Tea made herself as comfortable as she could with grim satisfaction that the Delyan King did not know her true identity. The other young women, all with hands and legs tied, as well as their mouths, made themselves comfortable as well. As comfortable as it could get. The wagon's horses trudged on through the forest pathway, bumps making it difficult to stay in an upright position.

Elsewhere...

Yami, Joey, Duke, and Tristan were riding at full speed on their horses, spreading throughout the forest. They had to find the Princess as soon as possible before the King returned. Also, Yami had a very uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. The Relorian army had gone to stop the Delyan King and his military but what if it had all been a trick? The Knight with the tri-colored hair had been pondering over this possibility since the day they had left. Many people believed it was the Dragons who started the fire. Maybe they had, maybe they hadn't and Yami hoped the King assumed they had so that he and the army could return soon. Relor was in a very vulnerable position.

Currently he was heading towards the Swift River. The blonde Knight had headed towards the West, Duke taking the North, and Tristan circling the outskirts of the city, asking people if they had seen the Princess, and keeping track of the small amount of soldiers that had been left to help defend the Capital. The mare Yami was on let out a whine and stopped short, almost causing him to fall off. "Karo, what is it?" Yami asked the horse as if expecting it to reply to him in actual words. The horse's ears perked up and whined again, becoming restless. Yami frowned trying to figure out the reason why the mare had stopped. "Karo, we need to keep going!" He urged the horse and tried to get her to move but she would not budge. "What is wrong with you?" He let out a frustrated cry. If this kept up, he would have to continue on foot...but Karo only acted like this when she sensed or smelled a predator...

The Knight at last became very still amidst the breathing of the horse. He listened for any sound of a predator but heard none except...the distant sound of battle cries and hooves. "Oh no..." He breathed and automatically pulled out his sword and shield. "They're here." He could not delay any further. The Princess had to be found but it was also his duty to defend Relor and it's people from enemies, especially an armed force as great as the Delyan Army. They were extremely aggressive and tended to show no mercy. Then again, they were taught that by the their King.

Yami sprang forward with Karo, finally succeeding in making the mare move. He held his sword out to the side and shield on his left. He wore no helmet, which was the only thing he was worried about. Relor had it's own archers but he didn't know if that it was the same for Delyan. His head was unprotected. 'Oh well—I will have to give it my all if I want to survive.' He had to and he would.

After a few minutes of running, Karo came to a halt again and Yami did not chastise her for in front of them was a single soldier, bearing the armor and shield with the symbol of Delyan. The soldier spoke first, a feral grin on his face. "Relorian scum!" He spat. "I am supposed to be looking for two traitors to the King but it looks like I'll have to get rid of you first!" Giving Yami no time to strike back verbally, the soldier dashed forward on his horse, sword held high.

Yami quickly brought his own sword up, clashing with the other blade. Wasting no time, he brought the blade back towards him and swung for the head. Again, he was met with the enemy blade, it's owner clearly enjoying the battle. Yami directed his horse forward and attacked again, only to hit the soldier's shield. 'I must find a weakness!' The Knight took a quick glance at the whole body of the soldier. Everything was covered with armor except for the neck. If he could just get past his blade and shield...

Quickly finding out it was almost impossible to do so, for the soldier was one of Delyan's best, Yami jumped off his horse onto the soldier, both of them falling to the ground. With quick reflexes, Yami snatched his sword off the ground and brought it to his neck. With his free arm and hand, he held back the blade of his enemy and spoke slowly to the soldier. "Tell me...where is the Princess?" He demanded, knowing they had to be the reason behind her disappearance.

"Princess?" The soldier laughed hoarsely. "I don't know what you're talking about. We have no Princess and we certainly don't have yours. My mission is to find those who betrayed us and kill them."

Yami pressed the blade against his throat. 'Traitors, huh?' "Where is your King?" He asked in a low voice.

The soldier refused to answer and pushed the Knight off of him. "Die!" He yelled jumping to his feet.

Yami responded quickly, noting the now clumsy moves of the soldier. He grabbed the wrist of the soldier and flung him to the ground, twisting it in the process. The soldier let out a horrific cry but was soon silenced by a blade to the heart. Yami hated to kill but sometimes it was necessary. If he didn't want to kill, he wouldn't have become a Knight since there was always a high risk that he would have to end an enemy's life at least once.

He withdrew his sword from the wound and wiped it on the ground. "Farewell." He issued a final greeting as a sign of respect. The Knight did not replace his sword but instead held if off to the side, blade forward, as he hoisted himself back on the horse and rode forth, prepared to fight.

Meanwhile, Tristan was desperately trying to calm the city's people down for word of the Delyan Army coming had arisen and one of the soldiers inside the castle had obviously talked, being of the gossip sort, and now people knew of the Princess' disappearance. "Everyone, please, stay calm!" He ordered above the noise to no avail. People continued to run around in disarray, some holding pitchforks and their own made swords, some screaming and weeping, holding children close.

Tristan did not know what to do. He could not send them back to their homes because if the Delyan army did come, the first thing they would do is set fire to the homes, killing people as they went. Plus, if they knew ahead of time which direction the army was coming, they would have to go around to each home, to each village and outer home in the forests to gather them all and flee in the opposite direction. The situation was hopeless. Some people were already heading towards the forests in a disorganized way. The brunette Knight might have ordered a command for everyone to go into the forest but he did not know where the army would be coming from.

He had to do something, but what? "By order of the King!" He shouted knowing they might respond differently to a mention of their King. He was right; most of the people stopped and looked at him, panic and terror upon their tear-stained faces. "Everyone stay calm—we cannot act rationally if we are all in a state of alarm!" Some of the people quieted down, eager to hear what he had to say. Tristan hesitated, now not knowing what he should say. Something had to be done and the only logical decision was to head into the forest. The people knew the forest well and even if they did not know which direction the Enemy was coming from, they would have to take their chances if they wanted to survive. Just as long as they didn't head for the mountains since the Delyan people were more familiar with mountains and knew how to survive there and navigate it in the best ways. "You must head for the forests! Go to the country and do not burden yourselves with all your possessions!"

A few argued, bringing up good points but Tristan did not listen to them. He had already gone over those possibilities mentally before they had even thought of it. Instead he ordered them to heed his commands, and reassured them that the King and the Relorian Amy would return soon to help them.

"The Dragons!" Someone cried out in fear. "They're gone! We're all doomed"

Tristan's heart sank as guilt settled in. 'If only...'


	8. Hope Restored

**A/N: I don't own YGO.**

* * *

The night of terror was just beginning.

Riding atop his black mare, King Bakura of Delyan rode fast with sword held high in the crisp night air. An evil-like laugh filled the soldiers' ears as they too charged on through the forest by their King's orders. The stars seemed to disappear into the darkness of the night sky, unwilling to show their enchanting light for the evil that was running through the forest. The trees themselves suddenly became dark and old, as if already sensing the neglect they would receive if the Delyan King succeeded in conquering the beautiful land of Relor. The animals fled for safety, for fear of being slaughtered in mad haste.

The horses, of all dark colors, neighed and whined, being pushed to their limits, some of them that is. Battle cries erupted in the air and some soldiers had feral grins across their faces, longing for bloodshed, lusting for battle. The sound of hooves was also in the air, swords being whipped around wildly as well as loose parts of their clothing. Soon the entire army spread out, the first part in their battle strategy. Knowing the King of Relor and his loyal men would return soon, and that the Knights would most definitely be on their guard, Bakura had issued a command for every Delyan man to surround the city by going through the forest and then close in on the city itself. And of course, they had to kill everyone in sight except for those in the city. Bakura had other purposes for their existence.

Dirt and stones were kicked up and a group of soldiers came across the first house in the outer parts of the eastern forest. It was small but comfy for the family living there. Sadly, they wouldn't be there for long...

"I'll take this one." One soldier announced and stepped down from his horse. He held his sword and stalked towards the house where a door had already opened. A man stepped out, his own sword in hand, and bravely stood in front of the doorway, grim determination but the fear was evident in his eyes. Dimly he wondered why they had never been warned for he knew this was no soldier of Relor but a minion of King Bakura, the most terrible of them all.

The Delyan warrior snickered, amused by this middle-aged man's futile attempts to appear as a threat to _him_. The armor-clad man said nothing and merely narrowed his eyes, and prepared to deliver the killing blow. The man in the doorway was helpless since he was no match for the soldier. The blade ripped through his fragile skin into his abdomen, a shocked sound emitting from his throat and he fell to his knees. The soldier never gave him a second glance. The last sounds the man heard were the horrific cries of his family.

Some minutes later, the soldier stepped past the fallen man and mounted his horse. "Let's go." He said to his comrades and they nodded. A young man among them swallowed hard, hardly believing his eyes at the casualness his fellow warrior had shown in ending the Relorian's life. He was just one of the few who only did what they were ordered to, taking no pleasure or satisfaction in the gruesome things they were commanded to. They clearly did not like life under Bakura's rule. Nevertheless, if they wanted to live, they would have to obey his orders, no matter how sadistic or inhumane they might seem.

Meanwhile, said King was currently standing next to the wagon that held the three young women captive. "I hope you can hear the screams." He murmured low enough for them to hear. The Princess did indeed hear the cries for help and mercy...and it tore at her heartstrings. Serenity had heard it too and she fought an failing battle to hold back her tears. She was so young and to hear such nightmarish sounds broke her heart and chilled her to the bone. Mai was much in the same way except she had already prepared herself mentally for it. She knew it was bound to happen. She knew she could do nothing except pray and hope for the best...and that her beloved Joseph, or Joey to very close friends, would come to her rescue or stop the evil tyrant.

Bakura smirked and nodded to the person in front of the wagon. "Keep along the pathway. Once you reach the city, stay there and await my orders." He commanded the man who nodded at once and directed the two mighty horses to go. Then the King smiled thinly to himself. 'Those girls will make excellent slaves...not for myself of course but I'm sure some of the others will enjoy their company...' One could only imagine what ideas he had in mind.

Deciding to follow the wagon for a bit, Bakura overheard the shout of a woman. The woman burst through the clearing, currently being chased. She stopped, seeing she was trapped, and just at that moment, the wagon hit a bump and Tea fell out, rolling onto the ground. The woman shrieked. "Your Highness!" The Princess grimaced, realizing her secret was out. Bakura's jaw dropped open in mild surprise. A Delyan rider tore through the bushes and immediately silenced her, secretly hoping she was gone so that the woman would not have to bear any more torture.

Tea struggled to her knees, horrified at the sight of the dead woman only a few feet away from her. 'Oh my...' Her body began to shake not only from the horror of it all but from the anger that rose up within her. 'How could he do this! That-that monster!' Tears flowed freely from her eyes and she turned her gaze towards the King, giving him a hateful glare.

"So...you are the Princess..." It was more of a statement than a question. A cold look was directed her way and Bakura jumped off the horse to the ground and slowly walked towards her. The rider and the man in charge of the wagon watched quietly, wondering what their king would do. "Why are you not at your castle, surrounded by your petty Knights!" He spat, disgusted by the idea that one of those Knights was certain to come after him, thinking they could defeat the King of Delyan. Tea froze, afraid of what might come next. Bakura only chuckled softly to himself. "What an unexpected turn of events..."

* * *

Tristan rode his horse, desperately trying to keep order in the hordes of people running, fleeing into the forest towards the south, knowing the Delyan army could not possibly attack from there since they were from the north. It was a possibility but at the moment it was the only logical choice there was. He rode ahead of them all of course to make sure there was no beast or predator, or even a Delyan soldier in their path. Behind him were people on their own horses, or donkeys, some with their dogs, and there were children in their arms and/or holding onto their hands. Women wept and men tried to keep a neutral expression so to appear brave. Tristan's heart went out to them all. He could not help but feel the impending doom as well.

Lanterns and torches were soon the only lights visible as the moon disappeared behind thick dark clouds. "Wonderful night." The brunette Knight muttered sarcastically, drawing his sword just in case. The blade provided a sense of comfort and security in a strange way. It was inevitable, a natural feeling for a true Knight. The sword and the warrior belonged together and almost never failed the master. Knowing that brought a grim smile to his perspiring face. The sweat came from anxiety.

Suddenly he heard the far cry of another horse and the hairs rose up on the back of his neck. 'No! That can't be them! Can it?' His thought raced wildly at the speed of a released arrow. Tristan brought his horse to a halt and the people followed suit, whispering among themselves and fearfully wondering why the Knight had stopped.

The sound of pounding hooves pierced the air and the people began to back up in terror, afraid of the approaching possible danger. Not missing a beat, Ryou, Mokuba, Ishizhu, and Marik came into view much to the obvious surprise of the Relorian people.

"It's that traitor! And he's brought Delyan vermin with him!" Was among the many curses and shouts of the people.

"R-Ryou!" Tristan stammered. He had not believed that his fellow Knight was a traitor but seeing him now with two Delyan people...he did not know what to make of it. "And Mokuba?" The young boy was there too, riding in front of Ryou with a huge smile on his face that instantly disappeared when he saw the furious and scared crowd looming before him.

Marik and Ishizhu automatically slowed their horses and hung back behind the two Relorians, musing over whether to make a break for it or not. These people saw them as enemies and would be even more suspicious as to why they were not with the Delyan King and his military.

"Tristan!" Mokuba exclaimed and squirmed to get off the horse. Success and the boy quickly made his way over to where Tristan sat on his horse. "Seto's back! And he's brought all the Dragons! We're saved!" He explained breathlessly, his face flushed with excitement. Seto was back! Plus a battle would be fought and Mokuba had much to learn. War was ugly; it always was, always is, and always will. Eventually he would come to that conclusion...but for now, he was merely ecstatic about the Dragon Paladin's return.

"What?" Tristan gasped and looked at Ryou who nodded expressionless. "That's...that's good news but...what about—them!" He pointed at Marik and Ishizhu who gripped their reins nervously. Tristan's gaze was not at all friendly since he didn't know the truth about them yet.

"Huh?" Mokuba followed his gesture and saw that Tristan was referring to the young man and his sorceress of a sister. "Oh _them_... you don't have worry about Marik and Ishizhu. They aren't part of the Delyan army anymore." He assured his friend and the people in front of him. Granted, he did not trust them exactly himself yet but in time he knew he would. He could tell they were honest, and desperate to escape the clutches of the cruel dictator that they once served.

Meanwhile, as the people listened on as Mokuba explained a few more things, Seto was flying towards them. Everyone began to gaze skyward as they felt a strong wind engulf them, created by the movement of his mighty pale blue wings. 'I'm back, my friends...' Seto winced at the screams but was relieved when the two Knights and Mokuba tried to reassure them. Nonetheless, people retreated into hiding and some fled for the city and to any other part of the forest. Noticing this, Seto quickly transformed into a human, using all the willpower he had. After a few moments, the tall handsome blue-eyed Dragon Paladin stood in the place of where the great Blue Eyes White Dragon had once stood.

"SETO!" Mokuba ran towards his dear friend and almost brother, and nearly flew into his arms. Tears gathered in his eyes and trickled down slowly on his dirt-stained cheeks. "Oh Seto! You came back!" He sobbed, deliriously happy to see him again.

Seto hugged him back tightly as if he would never let go. "Mokuba..." He murmured into the long raven hair of his adopted little brother. He was so glad he was wrong about giving him that answer only nights ago...

_Mokuba looked to him with shining eyes. "Will I ever see you again?"_

_The Knight became sad and shook his head. "I don't know for sure...but I fear the answer is no." With that, he hugged the boy tightly and held back his own tears as Mokuba sobbed. "Stay strong, kid. Remember what I told you. I know for a fact that you will make a great Knight." The boy still held such dreams._

_"I love you, big brother." Mokuba whispered, hiccuping._

Releasing his hold on the boy, Seto straightened up and took in his surroundings. Mokuba kept a firm grip on Seto's hand and was proud to be by his side. "Ryou, Tristan...people of Relor!" He raised his voice at this. "My deepest apologies for leaving you in your darkest hour! But I have returned but you must believe me! The Dragons are very real and even as I speak, they are descending into the forest to protect you!" He paused and saw a few faces peek out from behind tree trunks, bushes, and those that remained behind the Knight. "Please...have a little faith and rely not on your eyes to see what is true in existence." He finished in a softer tone, one that still held a hint of coldness. Seto did not know if he could ever forgive these people for their hurtful jaunts. That would be something he would have to come to terms with in the future.

Awkward and guilty silence settled in and then, "But what about him! And those two!" A man called out pointing at Ryou, and then at Marik and Ishizhu.

Seto turned around and stared at them. Mokuba quickly spoke up. "Marik and Ishizhu are allies!" He shouted for all to hear. "And Ryou is NOT a traitor!" Ryou sighed inwardly. It would take a terribly long time to prove himself to the King of Relor and his people.

Soon, Mokuba was done explaining everything to the people. It had taken him less than 10 minutes and already Seto could sense something...like death. A horrible odor reached his sensitive proboscis and he breathed, "No..."


	9. Plans Are Made

**A/N: I don't own YGO. Sorry about the wait! I've been busy with oneshots for other categories…and I can't concentrate very well with Christmas here! Merry Christmas!**

* * *

The people whispered among themselves, doubt still present in their thoughts. Could they really trust Marik and Ishizhu? After all, they did betray their King. What if they betrayed the King of Relor as well?

Mokuba's ears perked up when he heard the Knight's soft plea. "Seto? What's wrong?" He asked, concern etched on his boyish features. If something was bothering a Knight, it was best to hear him out and not ignore him. There were reasons for a person making it to Knighthood.

"That scent!" Seto remembered it so well. It was slightly familiar to scent of the dead animals he and his kin had preyed upon on the opposite side of the Mountains from where they stood.

"What about it?" Ryou wanted to know. He was more than ready to face whatever obstacle they came across in their path to freedom.

Seto paled visibly and then swallowed hard. "The only thing we should be concerning ourselves with is getting to where the battle is taking place." He answered firmly after a few moments. The others nodded in agreement.

Tristan was about to ask for suggestions on what their next course of action should be when Ishizhu let out a gasp. The brunette turned his gaze on her in mild surprise. "…What is it?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Ishizhu did not answer. Instead she stared at him, or so it seemed, gazing into a future yet to come or perhaps it was only a possibility of what could come to pass—she did not know. Her lips were parted slightly and for a second, all was quiet and still in her world, as if time itself had frozen.

"Sister?" Marik nudged her with his elbow and waved his hand in front of her face. "Are you all right, Ishizhu?" He asked worriedly, knowing that sometimes the visions she received could be frightening and nightmarish.

Mokuba peered up at the woman curiously and then allowed his gaze to drift to the Dragon Paladin, expecting an explanation on the enchantress' strange behavior. "What's happening? Do you know?" He whispered, stealing at glance out of the corner of his eye.

Seto shook his head. "Nay. I haven't a clue." He whispered back, his muscles taut with anxiety. A part of him wished to remain and discover the reasons for Ishizhu's mysterious doings but the other part wanted him to go…now…and fight. There was no doubt in his heart or mind that the Delyan army had already begun the war.

Tristan growled. "Well, I am not going to just stand here and twiddle thumbs!" He snapped at the two foreigners. "I have a duty to the King and to these people. I am sworn to protect them at all costs." He turned to Ryou and Seto. "I do not know about your plans but I have to lead these people to safety." He stepped forward to the taller of the two. "Seto—do you know where the Delyan army is right now?" He had to find out so that he could better chart an escape route in the appropriate direction.

Seto nodded glumly, remembering the horrific scent. "They're on the eastern side of Relor. Already they have killed—I can smell it." He stated icily.

Tristan's jaw was clenched. "I can't believe this—they tricked us!" He kicked at the dirt, oblivious to the people gathering behind him, or at least those who had stopped running.

"Tristan, there's nothing we can do about it." Ryou said firmly. "But there is something we can do _now_." He straightened his shoulders and swallowed hard, fearing they would deny his request. "Let me take the people into the west. Joseph, Duke, and Yami need you and they need you too, Seto, along with the Dragons." He held his breath. "Please."

Seto nodded without hesitation. "Take Mokuba with you—"

"But Seto!" Mokuba wailed. "I wanna go with you! Let me help fight!" He insisted stepping in between Seto and Tristan.

"Ryou…" Ryou took a deep breath and awaited what Tristan had to say. The once angered Knight appeared to be troubled within, wondering what the best decision for him would be. At long last, he shook his head. "I trust you. Never before have you proved otherwise." He finished softly, cracking a half-smile.

Ryou gave a short nod. "Thank you, Tristan." He responded solemnly.

"No Mokuba. You need to stay with Ryou and the others—that's the best thing for you and maybe you'll be able to help lead the people of Relor into safety." Seto added quickly, hoping that would change the young boy's mind.

Mokuba considered this for a moment. "All right." He said half-heartedly.

"Then it's settled." Seto inhaled deeply. "I don't know what the outcome of this war will be…whether we will be united at the end." Mokuba's eyes shot up with alarm and the other two noblemen wistfully agreed. "So…the best of luck in your ventures. I hope to see you all again…alive." He concluded lamely and bent down until he was eye to eye with the raven-haired boy. "I'm sorry to have to say good-bye again…" He began.

Mokuba said nothing and leaned forward to hug him tightly. "Don't." He murmured. Inside he was crying but his heart willed him to be strong. Nevertheless, a stray tear trickled down his face. "We'll see each other again, Seto—I know it!"

Seto saw the tear and smiled faintly. "Knights don't cry." He whispered.

"We have to get a move on!" Tristan interrupted.

Ryou moved forward to gather the people while Seto hugged Mokuba once more. "I'll be back—I promise." He said and then saw his fellow Knight running into the forest. "Tristan!" He called and the Knight ceased his movement. "It'll go a lot faster if you just climb onto my back and hang on…"

"What?" Tristan stalked back towards the Blue Eyes. "Are you mad? How is it supposed to go any faster, oh…" It suddenly dawned on him. "I forgot."

Seto chuckled softly. "Wait a minute." Mokuba and Ryou, who were off in another series of explanations for the people, paused and turned in Seto's direction, eager to see the magnificent transformation. Even Ishizhu, who had long since dropped out of her reverie, looked on in wonder, as well as Marik.

Seto closed his eyes and breathed in, preparing himself both physically and mentally. Then he concentrated on the newly acquired senses and feelings and searched for right feeling until he found it at his fingertips. He felt something at the edges and pushed at them with his mind, brow knitted in single-mindedness. His grandfather had told him that this was the way to transform into a Dragon: evoke the appearance of a human or a Dragon and picture the transformation, then search himself for the strange limbs that shouldn't be there, normally.

It was easy enough for him but he would have to remain in the Dragon state or human state for 48 hours. If he didn't, problems could occur. But if he planned to stay in a certain state for days on end, then transforming would be a little more difficult than the situation he was in now, that is, changing back into Dragon after becoming human for less than an hour.

Slowly but surely, a scaled tail and gigantic wings sprouted from him and his neck grew, all the while his face forming into one of a Dragon. Upon instinct, the great and majestic Blue Eyes White Dragon roared, gazing towards the night sky, reveling in all his power and strength.

A few of the Relorians screamed and cried out in fear, but majority of them did not run away. They were filled with a sense of comfort, staring in amazement at the beast before them. It was as if…the Dragon was reassuring them that all would be well. Whatever it was, it brought them hope.

Tristan, who had backed all the way into a tree, regained his composure and cleared his throat. "Uh…" Just how did one talk to a Dragon?

_Tristan, climb onto my back and hang on to my neck…hurry!_

Well that answered his question. Seto's only other supernatural power, besides his ability to transform with his mind, was telepathy. But that was all. Seto had to rely alone on his physical strength and the use of telepathy when in his Dragon form, and in Knight form, he had to depend on his sword and training.

"Good grief!" Tristan had almost been scared right out of his mind. He certainly hadn't expected that. "All right then." Forgetting all apprehensive feelings, Tristan ran over to the Blue Eyes who lowered his neck, and he climbed onto the brute and settled himself on the spot where back and neck connected.

Satisfied, Seto slowly rose into the air, long wings flapping about with such force it created a strong wind. Tristan instantly threw his arms around the scaly cervical and held on tightly, afraid of the heights they were ascending to. "Um, heh heh…" Tristan sweatdropped and shouted, "I'm sorry for ever doubting you!"

For a moment, nothing was heard inside his head and a worried Tristan thought Seto either hadn't heard him or had not forgiven him…quite yet. But then…

_You are not the only one._

Tristan grimaced and did not say another word. No doubt Seto was clearly still angry and stung by everyone who had dealt him their mockery and disdain. It took time for wounds to heal and the Knight on the Dragon's back knew in his heart that it would indeed be awhile before they were on more friendlier terms.

Back on the land, Ryou and Mokuba led the people in the direction of the Western Mountains and forest, while Marik and Ishizhu followed closely behind in silence, hoping they were unseen to their former enemies.

"Ishizhu." Marik called to her quietly. "What did you see?"

Ishizhu blinked once at her brother, and then it all came back to her in a mad rush. "Marik…" She breathed and stared at him with sad eyes. "I'm afraid that when this war reaches its end, the people of Relor and of Delyan will plunge into Darkness once again."

* * *

The war continued.

The Delyan army edged closer and closer to the heart of Relor. Still the Relorian army had not returned and still people died. There were small villages that the Princess and her maids had not reached and the boys and men stood their ground with axes, rakes, and torches in their hands, determined to fight to their end for their home and King. A valiant effort, but alas, they too were struck down within a matter of minutes.

Slowly but surely, the show of military spread out going to the north and to the south and straight west from their starting point in the east. Homes were burnt to the ground and corpses thrown into the fire. Leading the massacre was King Bakura and he eagerly awaited the appearance of the Knights or the Relorian army.

Meanwhile, Joey and Duke were holding their own at different points, finally realizing that smoke coming from the east could mean only one thing. A race against time, the Knights urged their horses onward at full speed. The two, though separated, met with Delyan forces much to their anger and dismay.

Joey slid off of his horse and landed on the ground lightly. The Delyan soldiers had no horses with them, these ones that is. Drawing his sword, Joey smirked as a few of the soldiers strode forth, intent on ending his life. The blonde stepped forward as well, swinging his sword menacingly. 'I won't let them have the satisfaction of killing me!' He thought and another grin crossed his face. It had been a long time since he felt this kind of excitement.

Suddenly, it seemed as if time had frozen once more. All became quiet around him; the only sound heard was the beating of his heart echoing wildly in his ears. Everything moved in a slow motion. It was only he and the enemy in one world, preparing to fight to the death.

With a battle cry, he rushed forward…


	10. Silly Human

**A/N: Don't own YGO. **

* * *

His feet pounded down on the solid dirt surface, one lone battle cry erupting from his lungs, freezing the opposing soldiers in their standing positions. To anyone else that knew Joseph, he wasn't exactly a man to be admired in appearance. Sometimes he was feared whenever he wore his full armor or was extremely famished, but other than that, he was an ordinary young man, just like everyone one else. However, it was these times that brought out a low-lying, regularly dormant fire. It emerged when it was time to spar, time to eat, and time to battle.

The Knight they saw was magnificent. It was as if actual fire had arisen within him and spread out through his skin, giving him a fiery orange-yellow glow. It was not real of course but that was what they believed they were seeing. Joey's sword was in flames, his eyes burning with hatred and yet with excitement. His mouth was wide open, releasing that chilling cry and his body moved quickly towards them.

'This is what I live for…this is what I trained for…to save the Princess and protect the kingdom of Relor. This is who I am.' Joey's words echoed within his mind but something just wasn't quite right. Was this really who he was? Did he only live to…kill? Had he only been trained to kill? Was it still a murder, a sin, if he killed another to save another? He had to defend himself and in doing so, he would have to kill. Was it right? Would the deed be vindicated afterward?

Joey suddenly stopped short, thinking. The Knight had never before killed someone in cold blood. In fact, he hadn't killed anyone before. This would be his first time. Though they were only teenagers, young men, they had been the only ones possessing the great strength and endurance to become a Knight of Relor. All other men were merely soldiers.

Those of Delyan…they were only doing what they were ordered to, right? They were only doing what they thought was right and just…right? But nobody had the right to take another's life. No one. Everyone was equal, were they not? However, everyone had their own ideas of what was right and wrong but still everyday, there were wars, be they physical or mental, emotional or verbal, out beyond the kingdom of Relor. Truth had been changed to fit their own wants and desires, to justify their own actions. It had become a struggle, a fight to survive; every man for himself.

Joey knew this. Relor was one of the last standing peaceful kingdoms, each citizen looking out for the other but who knew how long that would last? Already they had driven out one of their own…

Could things, circumstances between Relor and Delyan, the world, ever be changed? Resolved? Peaceful?

'Why do these thoughts plague me now!' Joey thought and was soon forced to kill and defend himself for the Delyan soldiers no longer saw a raging fire, a brave Joey of Relor. Instead a confused young man had taken its place and they saw it as an opportunity to move in for the kill.

* * *

Duke had found his way to Yami, on horseback, a trail of soldiers behind him. "Yami! Get ready!"

The tri-colored haired Knight gave a short nod. Karo whined and trotted to her master. Yami patted the horse reassuringly before hoisting himself up. He had a better chance on the horse than he did on the ground with many enemy soldiers heading his way.

The two Knights and their horses stood together, waiting, grim looks upon their faces. The Princess was still missing and the Relorian army still had not returned. Their odds were not good, no, not good at all. "Here they come." Duke whispered. Some were on foot, others on horseback, all waving around swords and torches, as well as shields and bow and arrow.

"Take out as many as you can and lead them away from the city." Yami said urgently to his comrade. "I bid you farewell, my friend."

Duke turned to his fellow Knight, a small smile on his face. They both knew they were horribly outnumbered and might not survive to see each other again. A Knight was strong, powerful…but not invincible, especially if a great deal of soldiers stood in their way. "Aye, the same to you, friend."

The men of Delyan on horseback were the ones with bow and arrow while those on foot had swords. Yami opted to take out the riders first since arrows traveled more swiftly that a blade. With that thought in mind, the Knight charged forth with his shield held out in front, directing the arrows' path to elsewhere. He went for the nearest horse rider and, with a smooth movement, decapitated the arm holding the bow. The man let out a horrific cry as he fell from his horse onto the ground, blood pouring out of the gruesome wound. Not phased in the least because he expected such things, Yami continued on towards the next rider.

It was Duke who took care of those on the ground. He held a bow and arrow and made quick work of each soldier, dodging the thrown knives and even using his fists and wits to out-smarten those who tried to follow him into the dark forest. Duke knew the place by heart mostly, and used that to his advantage.

Crouching low behind a bush, Duke readied and aimed his bow at an unsuspecting soldier. Yami was doing quite well and soon there were only two left, standing among the fallen bodies. Yami would take care of the one closest to himself, and Duke was planning on finishing the one in front of him.

A twig snapped.

Duke spun around, crying out in disbelief as a stray, wounded enemy soldier, with a dagger in hand, leapt forward and brought Duke to the ground. Duke's arrow had hit the trunk of a tree and Duke struggled to free himself when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Grunting, the Knight pushed the man off of him and reached for his own sword when he caught sight of the soldier he had originally tried to kill. The man fired an arrow and Duke flung himself over to the right while the wounded solider leaned on his knees, hit by the arrow instead.

A gargled cry left the man's throat as he collapsed to the ground. No longer a threat, Duke was about to attack the other soldier when Yami reached him first, striking him in the back. "Duke!" Yami jumped off of his horse and dashed over towards his fellow Knight. "You've been stabbed!" He observed in shock, seeing a dagger of Delyan design, stuck in Duke's shoulder.

Duke winced when he reached over with his hand, confirming the fact that was indeed a stab wound. "It has…to come out!" He gasped.

Yami shook his head. "No!" The blade was a tourniquet and removing it could make it worse.

Catching his meaning, Duke insisted, glaring. "Take it out!" He ordered, knowing it could become infected. "It's—not in…too deep!"

Hesitating, Yami sank back, staring at his comrade. If Duke was right, he would be able to remove it and bandage the wound with a cloth or something. But if it was in too deep…it could prove to be fatal. "I…"

"Hurry!" Duke snapped.

Moving quickly, Yami took the knife out and threw it to the ground, immediately ripping off some of his tunic while Duke covered the injury with his hand. "I do not know how many are out there and if they are near but you must return to the city and take care of this cut. You cannot fight well enough if you are injured!"

"A Knight never runs from battle." Duke replied fervently, obviously toughing it out. "You know this. Besides, the Princess must be rescued! The King will return soon and with him, the army of Relor. That cursed King of Delyan will not emerge victorious!" He croaked as Yami placed the torn cloth piece onto the gash. "Not if I have anything to say about it…" Duke then muttered.

Looking grim, Yami helped his friend to his feet. "You are right about that." He began, biting down on his lower lip. "But—"

THUMP!

Both Knights froze at the sound. Yami saw Duke's mouth drop wide open and slowly the tri-colored haired Knight turned around, stunned by the sight before him.

It's weight crushing the fallen bodies, a horrifying yet hauntingly beautiful Dragon stared back at the two Knights with it's golden eyes, twinkling with some sort of amusement. Its scales were a reddish-orange color and sharp, snow-white fangs and claws added to its splendor. The moon cast an eerie glow upon the creature and a low growl emitted from its throat.

"I...I can hardly believe…what my eyes are seeing!" Duke whispered.

Yami was too astonished to say anything. He was both amazed and frightened of the Dragon. The question was…was it on their side?

"Lo! Up there!" Duke suddenly cried out, pointing.

Yami followed his gaze and saw yet another wonderful, but strange sight. "Is that…Tristan?"

* * *

Joey ran for all he was worth, knowing he couldn't full-well take on all the soldiers that were hot on his trail. "This—is—insane!" He gasped out loud, jumping over a log. "I'm all alone with no torch, no light! Serenity is missing! Mai is missing! The Princess is missing! The _army_ is missing! And I'm being chased by a whole lot of enemy soldiers!" He had been heading West but decided to take a sharp turn north, hoping to run into his King and the army. They had to be on their way back by now! "I should have become a blacksmith!"

The Knight's code of honor stated that one must never run from battle but clearly Joey was taking no heed of such an order. At long last, he found himself at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the northern part of the Swift River. The nearest crossing was further east but as he glanced over his shoulder, he knew he had no time. "I have two choices: jump into the river or smile in the face of death!" Joey said to himself. In the darkness he could make out the dim forms of running soldiers and their lit torches. "Well, I wonder how deep this part of the river is…" He murmured, apparently having chosen the former of his two options.

A loud, deafening roar filled his ears and Joey automatically covered them, dropping to his knees. "Argh! What is that?" He searched high and low for the source but it could not be found. However, the Delyan soldiers stopped short, terror-filled screams adding to the roar. All of a sudden, a large beast seemingly dropped from the sky and landed in front of Joey who was laid out on the ground. The impact had caused him to lose his balance. "Is that what I think it is?" He murmured, wondering if old children's stories had come to life.

Another Dragon had reappeared in the Land of Relor.

Black eyes with a silver pupil, purple scales, and ivory claws were what made its great beauty. The Dragon brought its long and broad neck and head around to face Joey.

"…" Joey could not find the words to describe the magnificent beast so he settled with a, "Uh…do you mind…helping me out here? Of course it's understandable if you don't want to help me because I insulted you and…eep, don't hurt me! _Please_ don't hurt me!" His voice became a squeak as the Dragon's head moved closer to him and stared at him straight in the eyes.

_Silly human._

"What the—was that you?" Joey exclaimed, the feminine voice ringing no bell in his mind.

Meanwhile, the Delyan soldiers, upon order by their captain, took out their bow and arrows and were shooting at the Dragon. Their attempts were in vain for the measly little arrows were not enough to penetrate the tough and hard skin of the Dragon. Roaring her disapproval, the Dragon stomped forward, breathing fire but did not actually go into the forest for fear of destroying her lovely home.

"Hey!" Joey stood up unsteadily and drew his sword. "Come back here, you lily-livered twits!" At that point in time, Joey couldn't think of a better, harsher insult… Confident that the Dragon was not against him, Joey ran into the forest, hoping he could do something to draw out the soldiers.

But the Dragon had other plans.

Opening her mouth, the Dragon scooped up Joey from the ground, much to his obvious fear, and plopped him down on her back. "What are you doing? They're going to get away!" He yelled, not caring in the least that he was arguing with a Dragon.

Taking to the air, the purple Dragon flew in the direction of the city knowing her kin would be there as well. Amidst the peeved cries of the Knight, the Dragon thought only one thing:

_Silly human. _

* * *

**A/N: Yami and Bakura finally meet in the next chapter…**


	11. Face to Face

**A/N: Don't own YGO. Thank you to Caorann fridh Bronach (I decided to use wolverine instead of wolf in regards to the fact you pointed out) for beta reading. Sorry about the long wait for this chapter. We are almost finished. '…thoughts…'**

* * *

"I, er, forgot to mention the fact that sometimes I'm afraid of _heights_!" Tristan yelled, clinging tightly to the blue dragon, which was, of course, Seto. 

_Good for you._

"Humph." Tristan entertained the thought of giving his transportation a good swift kick. Sighing, Tristan averted his watering eyes to the land below, struggling to keep them open against the wind's force and the sudden vertigo he was experiencing. "I wonder how they're doing down there – oh! Seto, there's Yami and Duke and-" The dragon beside the two knights on foot gave a horrific roar. Tristan gulped and hoped this dragon was as friendly as Seto was… The knight frowned. He had to be out of it; Seto was not exactly the friendly type…

Seto roared back, clearly communicating in a different tongue.

"What are you two saying?" Tristan shouted. "Whoa!" He'd nearly had the living daylights scared out of him – Seto had taken a sudden drop in flight, zeroing in on the red dragon.

* * *

In a forest of darkness, the only light that could be seen came from lit torches and the moonlight seeping through gnarled, twisted branches. Like a herd of cows, the Relorian people had to make their own paths towards the Western Sea as best as they could for there were many obstacles before them. Deep grown roots that still showed themselves on the surface caused a few to trip and fall, bruising their knees against the numerous stones that littered the ground. Branches scraped cheekbones and the shadows that often found in such a close-knit forest seemed to reach for the humans, as though the shadows were monsters that had sprung out from behind every tree. 

"How come they couldn't stay in the city again?" Mokuba asked, panting as he ran alongside Ryou. The two had to stay ahead of the throng of people in case they encountered any threat at the edge of the forest; there were few men able to defend themselves as most of the men of Relor were with the King.

"If they stayed in the city, they would have been slaughtered by the Delyans, murdered without mercy," Ryou said grimly, not wanting to acknowledge Bakura as his brother. "This way, at least, we can stay far from Bakura's army for as long as possible until the King returns with our army and drives them away. Also, we mustn't forget Yami and the other Knights; they are fighting out there, too."

At this, Mokuba thought of Seto. 'I hope he's okay.' Still clutching Ryou's shield, Mokuba leapt over half a log that had somehow fallen into the way that he and Ryou were currently running through, creating a useable path with others following close behind.

All of a sudden, Mokuba heard a sound that made his blood run cold: the howl of a wolverine and the ear-shattering scream of a human. "R-Ryou?" Mokuba stammered, unsure of what to do as his pace slowed. "Did you-"

"Yes." Ryou immediately came to a stop, breathing hard. "Wolverines!"

"What are we going to do?" a person cried from behind the two males. "We have no weapons!"

"We should have stayed in the city – it's safer there!" another said in an angry voice.

Ryou had nothing to say to this. Being killed by swords or eaten by wolverines…definitely no win-win situation. He idly wondered which way of dying was quick and which one was worse. Shaking his head clear of morbid thoughts, Ryou focused on finding a way out of danger. However, his hopes weren't high; it was unlikely to have an entire city's population of people escape unscathed.

Although he was frightened, Mokuba tried to help out by coming up with a solution. "I survived for a month in the forest all by myself," he said. "Whenever I heard wolverines, I climbed a tree and they couldn't get to me."

Someone heard him. "Well, we don't have time to get the old and weak into trees and ourselves at the same time!"

Mokuba shrunk back, feeling about two inches high. "I…well, um…"

"It was a good idea, Mokuba," Ryou said calmly, "just not a practical one." It was beginning to look as if fighting back would be the only option. "The wolverines sound like they're towards the south. Some of the people must've gone that way," he said, suddenly sick in the stomach; no doubt those people had been mauled to death. "So far, the majority of the people are behind us." This was true. Many were now running past them, giving little thought to why they had stopped. "There is a good chance that the people can reach the mountains and defend themselves by rolling stones down or…" That sounded ludicrous! "Never mind. We'll have to risk it. Mokuba, go with the people. I will stay back and fight off any wolverines that come this way."

So now he was being deserted again! "No!" Mokuba protested angrily. "I'm tired of being left alone! I _can_ help fight! It might not seem like I can do much, but I can! Just give me a chance!" the boy finished off in a shout. "I-I have your shield! I could distract them by reflecting the light of the moon off the shield!" he said excitedly. "That would stop them! I'd be in a tree so I'll be safe!"

"But for how long, Mokuba?" Ryou demanded as more people ran past them. "I am responsible for you, now, because Seto isn't here. I cannot let you put yourself in danger!"

"Ryou! Mokuba!" Momentarily distracted from the seriousness of their situation, Ryou and Mokuba looked up to see Marik and Ishizhu, the last of the people running by. "There are wolverines nearby!" Marik said, coming to a halt. "Our horses ran away form us in fear and it looks like yours did, too!"

Mokuba remembered their own horses getting away from them in the craziness of panicking people all over.

"They know about the wolverines." Ishizhu focused her penetrating gaze on the Relorian Knight. "What are you going to do? As a knight, it is your duty to protect the people."

Ryou refrained from delivering a snappy comeback (it took a lot to infuriate tenderhearted Ryou). Of course he knew that! "I'm thinking…"

"Just standing here won't help anything!" Marik unleashed his sword. "We must fight!"

"Part of the river extends into the mountains, does it not?" Ishizhu asked briskly.

Ryou looked at her questioningly. "Yes, but…"

"If I understand correctly, the river runs through the city from east to west and I'm sure there are other people living west outside of the city…some of them have to have boats or even rafts…"

Catching on, Ryou spoke, "…the wolverines won't venture into the water right away. Their battleground is the forest itself. We can escape faster by the river!"

"I suppose so," Ishizhu said, frowning, "but I was thinking more of crossing the river to get to the other side. There should be some shallow parts, too, for those who cannot swim."

"It's too late now to catch them and tell them!" Mokuba tugged on Ryou's arm and pointed behind Ishizhu. "And they're coming – the wolverines!"

* * *

Pressing his body tightly to the dragon's body, Joey closed his eyes and decided to leave everything up to the dragon. "I'm counting on you, you hear!" 

_Silly human._

"Argh, stop calling me that!" Joey shouted, not fully comprehending the fact that he was talking to a dragon. "I should call you something and see if you like it! On a second thought, you might eat me…"

_I am called Zara._

"Zara?" Joey repeated and then yelped as Zara took a sudden dive. "You really need a saddle or something on your back!" he yelled, referring to the bumpy ride the dragon was giving him. "I'm going to be very sore when I stand on the ground again…"

* * *

"And now, as my men plunder the city of its worth, we will wait here, in the great hall of the King, for the King himself and his worthless army…and those worthless Knights." Bakura's thundering laugh carried through the air, sending a chill down Tea's spine. 

"You won't get away with this!" Mai snapped, not afraid to speak out. While Tea was tied to the throne, at the foot of Bakura, Mai and Serenity were hanging from one of the beams overhead in a crude, cramped cage, obviously to be used as a bribe. Two men held them up by hanging tight onto a rope.

Aiming to spite her, the soldier said, "You two are heavy! How much bread have you been eating?" This earned a laugh from the other soldier.

"What?" Mai was furious! "How dare you!"

"Oh, Joey, where are you?" Serenity whispered to herself, clinging to the "bars" of the cage, longing for her brother and desiring for the princess to be freed.

"Settle down, wench." Bakura glared at Mai. "You're wasting the last hour or two of your life complaining about circumstances you cannot change."

"Well, _excuse me_, for crying out loud! Do you expect me to jump for joy when I'm in a cage?" Mai squeezed her hands into fists, wishing she could knock him out and with the way she was feeling right now she probably _could_ with the sheer force of her anger instead of literally punching him in the face!

"My father will get here," Tea said, blue eyes flashing with extreme annoyance. "And when he does, you will wish you had never come to invade Relor!"

"Princess…" Bakura cupped her chin, forcing her to look directly in his eyes. "You _are_ amusing. I should keep you as a court jester when I become King of both Delyan _and_ Relor."

Too frustrated to say a word more, Tea tore her chin away from his grasp with a "humph" and stared at the marble floor, helplessly.

Suddenly, the shouts of men reached the hall and the soldiers came tumbling in. "Your Majesty," one of them shouted, "dragons! There are dragons, everywhere!"

"What?" Bakura stood up and headed for the balcony near the throne, shoving the crimson curtain out of the way and feasted his eyes on a rainbow of creatures landing at different points within the city. "Well, well, what _another_ unexpected turn of events."

"That is the last magnificent sight you will ever see."

Not surprisingly, Bakura spun around to see Yami, armor and all, standing in the middle of the hall with the two soldiers that had come in, on the floor, knocked out. The other two soldiers holding the cage up, looked to their king for further instructions on what they should do.

"Yami!" Tea cried, tears of relief suddenly pouring down her face.

"So, you think your dragons can scare me?" Bakura asked, raising an eyebrow. "My, my, this is a sign of weakness! The great and revered Relor cannot stand against their enemies without relying on creatures they never believed to exist in the first place. How laughable Relor is in this moment," Bakura cackled, eyes as dark as the blackness of his heart.

"Yes, we are ashamed for our unbelief in the unseen forces protecting our land," Yami agreed, eyes not straying from his opponent. "There is only so much we can acknowledge as true with our eyes and ears. The dragons have returned – which I can most likely thank one of our knights for – and will protect the city and find the people and protect them as well, wherever they are. However, I am not here to discuss the dragons."

"Then what, pray tell, are you here for?" Bakura demanded in a low voice, hand on the hilt of his sword, knowing it would come to bloodshed…in his favor.

"I am here to kill you."

* * *

Outside, Tristan and Duke fought side by side, despite their differences, especially where Serenity was concerned. "I'm glad you are all right, Duke," Tristan said, genuinely caring for his fellow knight and friend. 

"The same to you." Duke motioned for Tristan to follow him. "Come on. I hear some soldiers over here." He led the way through an alley, holding his sword in front for protection, which now mattered most to him instead of actually battling it out. Duke was still injured and would have to depend on Tristan to take out most of the soldiers before moving on. Plus, the dragons would be loads of help.

"Uh…don't look now, Duke," Tristan said as they emerged into a wide-open area where a fountain stood. "But we're surrounded."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Duke cursed, seeing the enemies close in. "As far as I know, Delyan has no knights so they won't have a lot of experience fighting those stronger than them and believe me, we are stronger."

"Yes, but what about your injury? And there's no way we can successfully take on twenty men each!" Tristan swallowed hard, bracing himself for the inevitable battle.

"Don't forget about me – whoa!" Zara and Joey appeared in the nick of time! Zara gently grabbed Joey in her jaws and set him down in front of her. "Aw, dragon slobber… Tristan! Duke!" Joey grinned, unsheathing his blade. "Zara will help us out! We're going to defeat Delyan!

The enemies gave shouts of fear at the sight of Zara and most ran away save for the archers who decided to give it their best shot. However, much to their surprise and the Knight's displeasure, Zara suddenly lifted off the ground, creating a huge wind, and took to the air in flight, bound for a destination none of them knew of.

"Wha – come back, Zara!" Joey waved his arms wildly at the retreating dragon. "Where the heck is she going!"

"Who really cares right now?" Duke snapped. "Do you mind helping us out?"

"Oh, of course." Joey ran for his friends and stood by them with renewed strength and determination. Still, he wondered, 'Where is Zara going?'

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**A/N: This chapter differs from the others because I have a beta reader now. Didn't have one when I posted C10...a year ago...coincidentally, I got CfB as my beta reader after I posted C10.**

**A review would be greatly appreciated. It doesn't take long, you know.**


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